Restoring Cybertron: A new beginning
by Aquaformer
Summary: This is a sequel to New Origins. I don't own Transformers, I am just having fun with them.
1. Chapter 1

The Autobots cheered in victory as they had listened to what their Prime had said – the war was over and now it was time to rebuild Cybertron. All bots now knew the truth – that Optimus had been a twin and that Optimus had once been a pleasure. And for all that Optimus, Mirage, Illusion, Orion, and Hide had feared if the truth was revealed, things now showed that their fear was for naught. Optimus had been accepted for who he was. Mirage had been curious as to why bots were so accepting, and so he asked around. The answer he got was "he first accepted us as we were, how could we offer any less to him." These comments made Mirage smile.

And while the others were starting to rebuild the busted down city, Optimus was with his mother Orion and his adoptive father Ironhide. "Son, I don't understand something" Hide stated, curious about a remark that Optimus had made on the way back to the base after destroying Megatron.

"What is that?" Optimus asked.

"Megatron could have slaughtered you, killed us all and destroyed Cybertron…. And yet, you are sad you had to kill your twin?" Hide stated, a bit confused.

"Just because he was evil makes him no less my brother" Optimus stated, "he was my brother just like Bee is or any other sparklings you had. I feel bad that in order to make peace, I had to lose my own brother."

Hide was a bit taken aback, as he hadn't really understood. Orion was there, listening as well. "I can understand how you feel, Optimus, as he was my son. No matter how evil, he was still my son. Yet, sometimes sparklings do go before their creators. I wish he had had a chance to know love, but his sire took that away from him. Hellion raised Megatron to be as he was, and that was all he ever knew. There was nothing you could have done to save him, Optimus. There was nothing I could have done to save him."

Optimus felt better listening to what his mother said, as Orion had much the same feeling Optimus had. Hide just offered a hug to the pair and they embraced him. Optimus felt better.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the base, Mirage was helping others while still watching his little ones. Now that the threat of cons attacking was over, Mirage no longer felt he had to remain trapped in the quarters with the young ones to protect them. They could come out and be part of the rest of the Autobots. Flasher, Keeper, Slugbug and Kryptonight loved it and helped their siblings to love it too, though Silverstreak could be a bit fussy at times.

"Wow, Mirage, I didn't realize you two had so many wonderful sparklings" a random Autobot stated.

"Yeah, we believe in big loving families who help out" Mirage answered. He was proud that most of his sparklings behaved so well. Luckystar and Silverstreak occasionally got into petty little fights or arguments, but usually a threat to go to their rooms or to send them to dad would stop those.

"I am excited that we are going to be rebuilding Cybertron" another mech said happily joining in on the converastion. "And with all the new sparklings, bots will soon repopulate the whole of Cybertron."

"I hope Optimus keeps his promise" a random femme stated, coming up to the group. She was an older femme who had lived through the class system before, when Sentinel was around and she hated it as it prevented her from working in the field she wanted to work in – the medical field.

"And what promise is that?" Mirage asked, a bit worried by the femme's tone and how rudely she seemed to butt in on the conversation.

"That the class system that we had preciously under Sentinel Prime is gone" she replied, her obvious dislike of the system showing through in her comment.

Mirage was relieved when he heard that. "I can assure you that Optimus has no intention of starting that up again. Remember, he started life in the lowest rung of that ladder. I know Optimus, he wants all bots to be able to do and go and work as they please, so long as they follow a few commonsense laws that are on the books" Mirage stated.

"I don't mind laws, but I hate class systems" the femme stated, relived that maybe now she could finally follow her dream and become a medic like Ratchet.

"Those are gone. Optimus abolished the class system as soon as the war broke out" Mirage answered. The three random bots were pleased to hear that. "Plus, the young bots know nothing of it, so I doubt it will ever come back, at least while Optimus is Prime."

The three smiled and soon left as they had things to do now that restoration was in progress, first on the city of the Prime which the Autobots had made their base, well, underneath it had been their base.

Meanwhile, over at the other bot base, Autobots were destroying equipment that had done harm to thousands of bots during Megatron's days as the Cons leader. They were ripping out and destroying anything that had been used as a torture device, though the stored the information about each item in case something like this popped up again. It didn't take long for the Autobots to completely disassemble the con base. The remaining cons that had been captured were in a brig awaiting trial. Optimus had ordered that they all be secured until they could face punishment for their crimes.

No one realized it yet, but in the chaos of everything with the war ending and Cybertron being rebuilt, Starscream and his two brothers, along with Sundimmer, had managed to make it out alive and for now, they were just bidding their time in space, as they knew they needed to build up an army, a big army before they could go on the attack again. "Mark my words, Prime, some day you will be mine" Starscream screeched darkly.


	2. Chapter 2

Out in the citadel that had once housed the Prime's grand estate, bots were busy working on destroying the destroyed buildings and clearing away the rubble to start building new buildings. Sadly, as the clearing was taking place, many bots' bodies, from bots that had not made it out of buildings when the citadel had been attacked, were found under the rubble. Each time a new one was located, Optimus was called to the scene. This day, the bots were clearing an old rubble pile near what used to be the towers.

"Burner to Optimus, come in Optimus" Burner stated, having just uncovered two bots' remains.

"Optimus here, how can I help you, burner?" Optimus replied over the comm.

"You told us to comm you if we found any remains while clearing rubble. Well, sir, in the rubble I just cleared I found two bots' remains sir" Burner stated, not knowing that these two were significant finds of sorts.

"Where are you, Burner?"

"I am located on the northeast part of the citadel near a place that must have been really pretty at one time" Burner stated. He had never known about the towers or tower bots, but his description let Optimus know exactly where to find the bot.

"I plan on bringing a couple bots with me, be there soon. Do not move those remains until I get there" Optimus stated.

"Yes, sir."

Optimus ended the comm and knew he had three bots that he was going to take with him on this call – Mirage, Illusion, and Prowl. Those three had grown up in the towers and most likely would know who these bots had been. Little did Optimus know that this discovery was going to drive his mate crazy.

Optimus took off with the three bots, each unsure exactly as to what they were being called to identify at the site.

"Burner found the remains of two bots near what was once the towers. I need you three as you three are the only ones I know of that lived in the towers before they were destroyed by Megatron" Optimus stated.

"Understood, sir" Prowl stated. He had known many bots in the towers, whereas Mirage and Illusion knew fewer. The problem was that Prowl wasn't going to know these two but the twins were.

When the four arrived on site, Prowl looked and didn't recognize the pair, but boy the twins did. And while Illusion stayed put, Mirage began to try to burn and shred the bodies that had been found. Optimus was the picture of confused. Prowl was shocked, but Illusion sighed.

"What is the meaning of this? How dare he desecrate remains" Optimus started to yell, not understanding why Mirage was acting in the way he was. Mirage seemed to be acting crazy and not like himself.

"Silence, Prime. You don't understand!" Illusion yelled at the Prime, stunning Prowl and Optimus. "I know why he is doing this…. Those remains… are the remains of our creators. The ones who abused us and forced us to live in squalor while they lived the high life."

Mirage kept going, venting his rage on the metal that had been found. He didn't feel like they deserved to be remembered. He felt like their remains belonged melted down and thrown away like the trash Mirage felt they were. Mirage had hated his creators in life and now it showed in their demise.

"Those were you creators?" Prowl asked, finally coming to. He had met the pair before the towers were destroyed, but he had never known until now that the two had had sparklings together.

"Yes, and they were constantly hurting us, Mirage more so than myself, for you see, Mirage was sparked with a speech impediment in addition to being able to vanish upon command. He had trouble talking" Illusion stated.

"Mirage speaks well now" Optimus stated, still stunned. There was much Optimus seemed to now know about Mirage's life before Optimus had met Mirage. Optimus felt bad about it, especially now seeing his mate so distressed.

"That is because he worked relentlessly on fixing his vocal processors and learning how to speak. I spent many hours with him when we were little teaching him how to say things correctly, as only I proved that I loved him no matter what" Illusion stated.

Optimus felt stuck. He wanted to remove the remains and entomb them properly, but he knew doing so would hurt his mate. "What do I do now?" Optimus asked, wanting to make his mate feel better and still honor the deceased.

"Take Mirage home. Prowl and I will take care of these two, as we know just the kind of burial they deserve and where to do it" Illusion stated and Prowl nodded. He finally understood why Mirage and Illusion had never mentioned their real creators. This was all new to Optimus, but he listened to Illusion and tried to remove Mirage from the scene. It was easier said than done, but eventually, Mirage was removed from the scene and Prowl and Illusion were able to take care of things.

Optimus took Mirage home. Mirage was still hurt. "I'm sorry, my love" Optimus stated as he tried to help Mirage.

"Sorry for what?" Mirage asked, still reeling from the whole thing.

"I'm sorry that I brought you there and that I brought out this pained side of you" Optimus stated, feeling hurt because his mate was hurting.

Mirage looked to his mate. Mirage could tell Optimus had had no clue that this would hurt Mirage so and that Optimus felt terrible that Optimus hadn't known sooner in order to help his mate feel loved. "You are forgiven, beloved" Mirage stated, realizing that he had overreacted. "You couldn't have known."

"I might have been better prepared if you had at least told me of your past from before we met" Optimus stated.

Mirage lowered his helm. "It… It hurt too much. I don't want to feel hurt… so I buried it deep inside" Mirage admitted.

Optimus went to his mate and gently lifted his mate's head up. "NO matter what, I still love you" Optimus said, embracing his mate. Mirage cried into his mate's chest. Optimus just held his mate close, knowing Mirage needed this. Soon, Mirage had worn himself out. Since the sparklings were elsewhere, Optimus took Mirage into their shared berth and soon both were sleeping wrapped up in one another's arms.


	3. Chapter 3

Construction on the destroyed citadels on the surface on Cybertron continued, moving along at a decent pace. The Autobots worked hard to restore them, as Megatron had decimated so many cities and so many bots. It was hard clearing the rubble and finding remains that had been left behind from when the destruction took place, but each bot that was found was given proper entombment, as Optimus made sure of it.

Starscream watched from one of the planet's moons. He was in a foul mood as Cybertron was now under the rule of the Prime once again and Cybertron was being restored to what it once was. Starscream had learned one thing – he was not going to be a sitting duck like Megatron had. Starscream had his own plans to once again take over Cybertron and destroy Optimus Prime. The only problem right now was that Starscream needed to build up an army. Four seekers were not enough to fight all the Autobots. For now, Starscream and his brothers would bide their time.

Meanwhile, on Cybertron, the Autobots were once again free to roam the surface of the planet, though most chose to do so carefully, as random defiant bots popped up to start skirmishes, though they were usually quickly captured. Sparklings and younglings were still thoroughly protected regardless of the fact that the war was over.

In the base, where Optimus was helping with plans to restore Cybertron, Prowl brought the news of what had been done to the two tower bots. "Sir, arrangements have been made for those two that were found near the towers."

"What was done with them?" Optimus asked, curious.

"I am not at liberty to discuss that, as only Illusion and I have the information and I don't want it to get back to Mirage" Prowl stated.

"I am your Prime, I demand to know" Optimus stated, starting to get riled up about the refusal to release information.

"I know you are Prime, sir, but this is a personal matter, and I ask that you stay out of it for your mate's sake" Prowl stated emphatically and without backing down.

Optimus was going to further demand to know, but then when he thought about his mate, the though passed. Maybe it was best Optimus didn't know because then Mirage would never know and could move on. "I don't appreciate your tone, Prowl, but I will respect your choice this time."

"Thank you, sir. Please don't think of it as my request, but think of it as a request for Mirage" Prowl stated, finally having decided to love the bot as a son.

"Agreed" Prime stated and he let Prowl go.

No sooner had Prowl left, Mirage entered the office. "Optimus, sir?" Mirage asked, not sure if it was ok to address his mate as Prime or his mate.

Optimus used the computer to close the door. "Yes, love?" Optimus responded, giving Mirage his answer.

"I am sorry for the way I acted. I don't know what got into me" Mirage stated.

"Painful memories from the past can be difficult to move through, but the good news is that those things are in the past. The present and the future are what matter, and I will always love you, my mate" Optimus stated. Mirage listened. He heard no condemnation, no anger. What he heard was love and understanding. Mirage appreciated it. "Tell you what, my sweet, I have a few more things to do and then I can come home and help you with our little ones."

Mirage smiled. He liked the fact that the war was over as it gave Optimus more time with their little ones. "Okay, beloved, we will be waiting for you. And, after that, I think little Orion needs some play time" Mirage stated, knowing full well it would rile his mate up. Needless to say, Optimus finished quickly and headed for home.

Elsewhere, Buster was outside helping with the rebuilding. His job was supervisor, but he pitched in to help whenever he could. The other bots appreciated it, as it meant he understood how hard they worked. Buster helped whenever he could, but he was careful, as he had found not too long ago that he was sparked. He hadn't even told Illusion yet, as they had both been busy helping out. Those he supervised knew and so they were careful with him.

"You need to tell your mate, Buster" one of the mechs said.

"Yes, he deserves to know" another mech said.

"Thank you for your concern, my friends" Buster stated, "I haven't had an opportunity to tell him yet as he has been busy. I will tell him when I get home tonight." That explanation was good enough for the two who had approached him with their concerns. They went back to work.

Soon, his shift was over and Buster headed for home, hoping that this time, Illusion would be there. Buster went in and was greeted by their four sparklings, who were close to being younglings, and Illusion. Illusion noticed something was off, but allowed Buster time with the sparklings before Illusion asked.

Only once the sparklings were in bed did Illusion bring up his concern. "Love, you are acting different from usual. Is something wrong?" Illusion asked, worried about his mate.

"You were busy for a while so I hadn't had a chance to tell you" Buster started, confusing Illusion as to what Buster needed to tell the illusionist. "I went to the med bay because I wasn't feeling good. And while I was there and getting scanned for any viruses or anything, I was found to be…. Sparked." Buster hung his head at that, fearing his mate's reaction to the news.

Illusion was surprised, but instead of being angry, Illusion reacted warmly to his mate and the news. Illusion gently lifted his mate's head. "We will love them, no matter what, my dear" Illusion stated, love and warmth in his words and on his face. Buster was relieved and snuggled into his mate. He had needed the warmth and reassurance, and he received that and more from his mate. "Looks like it is my turn to spoil you" Illusion stated and they quickly headed for their own berth.


	4. Chapter 4

The broken cities that had once lay in ruins thanks to the recently destroyed Megatron were soon being rebuilt by bots that were happy to work alongside with others. Many of the young bots who had been raised during the war knew nothing of the former class system and with good reason, as Optimus had done away with it. Since the Autobots were happy to have a free Cybertron, they chose to work together to restore it.

The Autobot base was still used to keep the Prime safe, as the Prime's estate had not yet been rebuilt enough for the Prime to reside there. Even though it was used to keep Optimus safe, Optimus still ventured out to check on the progress of things and all were welcome to approach the Prime unless he had a prior meeting arranged. Optimus kept an open-door policy so that any bot could talk to him.

This day saw a youngish femme approach. She was sick of a few mechs she was working with giving her a hard time. She had tried to go through other means, but nothing seemed to change for her or her work site. Her name was Diamond, but the mechs who teased her relentlessly called her Ice as she was cold to them mostly because she didn't appreciate their comments.

"Prime, sir, may I speak with you?" Diamond asked.

"Certainly, how may I help you, Diamond?" Optimus asked, unaware of what was going on where Diamond had been assigned to work.

"I hate to be a snitch, but I can't stand working with some of the mechs in the citadel I am assigned to" Diamond stated.

Optimus was concerned when he heard that. "Tell me what has been going on" Optimus stated, wanting to know.

"Well, it goes like this…" Diamond explained and she told of all the relentless teasing she received and who she received it from. She told that it was unwelcome and that it never seemed to stop. She told how she had tried to talk to her supervisors but that they had done nothing about this. Optimus didn't like the sound of this, but he wanted some proof of what she was saying.

"Tell you what, Diamond. My mate and I will go with you, along with my eldest daughter Bluesky. Mirage will hide the two of us mechs, while Bluesky will be with you. The other mechs will not see Mirage or myself. I want to help you, and so I want to see what you are experiencing" Optimus stated.

Diamond was a bit stunned. So far, her luck had been that her supervisors had blown her off. Optimus was taking this charge seriously, but she was curious as to why he wanted to come with her. "Sir, if I may ask, why do you wish to see it?" Diamond asked, fearful of the response she would get going back to her site, as she had skipped work today to report this as it was that important to her.

"I wish to see for myself and perform a thorough investigation. It is hard in these cases at times, when it may turn into what the humans call a "he said- she said" type case. I want hard evidence before I punish anyone in such a case" Optimus stated and he commed his mate and told his mate to bring their youngling daughter.

That made sense to Diamond. She had nothing to hide, but knew the other mechs would lie to protect themselves as they had done it before. Mirage soon showed up, with Bluesky in tow.

"I understand you wished to see us, sir?" Mirage stated, teaching Bluesky how to address her father when in public now that she was older.

"Yes, something has come to my attention, and I need you two to assist me with it. This is Diamond and she has made some serious complaints about her work area. I need more evidence before I punish bots" Optimus explained. Optimus told of the plan. Mirage and Bluesky were in agreement. Diamond was relieved to have another femme going with her at this site.

The four soon took off for the citadel in question. Mirage hid himself and Optimus so that they could observe without being seen. Bluesky was aware that her role was to be a new femme assigned to the area to work under Diamond's guidance. Hopefully, this would bring out the truth.

As soon as Diamond returned to the site with the young femme, the teasing started. It was relentless and harassing towards the femmes. Optimus could not believe his audios when he heard all the derogatory comments made by the mechs that Diamond worked with. Of course, not all the mechs participated, but the ones who did were loud and proud about it, as they had gotten away with it so far. The other mechs were also harassed by these same bots as they refused to participate in this.

After several minutes, Optimus and Mirage had heard enough, especially now that their young daughter was also being teased in the same manner. This had to stop and stop now. Optimus gave the signal for Mirage to lower the illusion, and Mirage did so. The workers were caught off guard to suddenly see the Prime. The teasing instantly stopped, as the mechs hoped to "put on a good face" for the Prime, unaware that he knew better.

Optimus spoke to each mech, and easily singled out the voices he had recorded and heard saying the vile things, both too the femmes as well as the mechs who didn't wish to be part of this whole teasing thing. Most mechs were left alone and allowed to continue working. Optimus gathered the few who had been vile along with all the mech supervisors. "You mechs disgust me" Optimus suddenly stated. "Especially you, the bots placed in charge of this site."

"But we have done nothing wrong" they all seemed to say, trying to cover their tracks.

"Wrong, I have been listening. I overheard and recorded your disgusting comments. I am removing you from your positions and placing you in the brig for now. I will let Ratchet have fun with the whole lot of you for punishment. None of you will remain at this site nor will any supervisor keep their role. I do not tolerate harassment of any kind" Optimus stated. Optimus then played what he had recorded. The supervisors, who had poo-pooed the situation, not realizing how bac it was, were sickened when they heard what had been happening. Optimus, however, didn't care that they now felt sickened, they had failed to do their job and so they deserved to be demoted and punished.

Optimus assigned new supervisors to the area and then headed back to the Citadel where the Autobot base was located. He placed the mechs he had arrested in the brig and let ratchet know. Ratchet was disgusted to hear what the mechs had done and so he planned punishments accordingly. These mechs would learn the hard way that femmes were to be treated with respect. And that mechs who respected femmes were not weaklings and not deserving of such treatment either.


	5. Chapter 5

After having dealt with the bullying mechs from the one citadel site, Optimus soon assigned new bots to the area, and even made Diamond a supervisor. Many of the mechs who had been too scared to defend her from the others now were actually grateful to have her as a supervisor. Optimus kept close tabs on how things were going there as well as with the other citadels that were being rebuilt.

Seeing that all was well at that site, Optimus soon checked in on another site, the former citadel of Vos where many seekers had come from and lived in isolation. Optimus had assigned the task to many Autobots that could fly, as some of the areas that needed to be repaired there would only be able to be reached by air. Optimus checked in with Silverbolt.

"How are things progressing there, Silverbolt?" Optimus asked.

"Things seem to be progressing well here. We are on schedule thanks to some new bots that offered to help?"

"New bots?" Optimus asked.

"Yes, it seems not all seekers were slaughtered or joined with Megatron. A few had hid secretly in their own base. They agreed to help us rebuild when they heard the war was over" Silverbolt explained.

"That is excellent news. When they are ready, I would love to meet these new bots" Optimus stated, already welcoming them.

"I will let them know, sir. I can't talk much longer, as there is still much to do sir" Silverbolt stated.

"Thank you for your report, I look forward to hearing from you again soon" Optimus stated.

"Yes sir, over and out" Silverbolt stated before the comm link went quiet. Optimus was pleased to hear the good report. It was good to find new bots that were willing to help out in rebuilding and restoring Cybertron to the planet it once had been.

After receiving all reports from all the sites, Optimus left his office and headed for home. While Optimus was okay, his inner persona Orion Pax was in need of some attention. Optimus only hoped that Mirage was at home and that the sparklings were elsewhere.

When Optimus arrived home, the sparklings were elsewhere but so was Mirage. Optimus frowned and tried to comm his mate. "Mirage…Mirage… where are you?" Optimus commed, hoping to get ahold of his mate.

"I was out getting energon, is there something that you needed?" Mirage answered warmly.

"Well, are you heading for home, or were stopping off anywhere?" Optimus asked.

"Well, I had planned on picking up the sparklings, unless something has come up" Mirage stated, sensing something.

"Do you think… you could come home now… without our little ones?" Optimus asked, his playful personality starting to show through in the comm.

Mirage easily recognized what was going on. "I will be home soon… we can pick up our little ones later" Mirage stated, and soon made his way home with the new energon cubes he had picked up. Mirage was barely able to put away the new energon he had gathered for the family when he felt himself being scooped up in a large set of arms. Mirage hoped that this was Optimus and not a random bot, as the big bot had grabbed Mirage from behind.

Optimus sensed the fear. "It's me, my sweet" Optimus managed to say in his Prime voice.

Mirage relaxed a bit. "I love you, but please, don't scare me like that again" Mirage said gently.

"I'm sorry" Optimus stated, fearing that Mirage would no longer be in the mood.

"You are forgiven, my beloved. Now how can I help you, baby?" Mirage asked, addressing both Optimus and Orion at the same time.

Optimus heard it and finally let his other side free. "I need you, baby doll" Orion Pax said in his most needy voice.

Mirage knew then that Optimus must have been really needy. "You have me, all night long, baby" Mirage stated, which caused Orion/Optimus to have a huge grin under the face mask, which was quickly moved out of the way. Mirage smiled and soon the two were off having fun together, unaware that this time, they would spark each other at the same time, not that they cared at this point. All they needed was each other.

Meanwhile, Bee was wondering around with Keeper, Flasher, Krypto, and Slugbug. None of the four knew that Bee had snuck out to be with them.

"Man, I'm bored" Flasher stated, hating that they were walking around in the archives.

"Patience, Flasher, you are always so impatient" Slugbug stated.

"I find it fascinating here" Keeper stated.

"I'm with Flasher, I'm bored" Krypto stated.

"Grow up, Krypto" Slugbug stated, sick of his twin's complaints.

"Wow" was all Bee could say as he had never been here before.

"I take it your mom and dad haven't taken you here before?" Keeper asked, hearing what bee had said.

"No… they are too busy" Bee stated, thinking of all his younger siblings.

"Bee, do your parents know that you are with us?" Slugbug asked, starting to suspect something. Little bee looked to the ground. He had been caught by his nephew. Bee shook his helm. Slugbug sighed softly. "Do you mind if I comm them and explain that you are with us?" Slugbug offered.

"No" Bee said softly, hoping that his mom and dad would be ok with this. Slugbug made the comm to Orion and Hide, explaining where bee was and what was going on. While Hide and Orion weren't happy that bee had snuck out, they were relieved that he was safe and with family.

"Please bring him home as soon as you are done in the archives" Orion stated. He knew Bee was curious but he also knew bee needed to learn what was appropriate.

"Will do" Slugbug stated and soon the five were enjoying the things that they found in the archive.

Once they were tired, Krypto took Keeper and Flasher home while Slugbug took bee home. "Bee, they were just worried about you. They want you to be able to do things that you enjoy and can learn from, but it is hard for them to trust you when you sneak out" Bug stated gently. Bee nodded. He realized the Bug was right.

When Orion answered the door, bee raced inside and hugged his mother. "I'm sorry, mama" Bee stated, tears in his optics.

Hide soon came in. He saw bee hugging Orion and heard the apology. "What are you sorry for, Bee?" Hide asked.

Bee left his mama and went to hug his father. "I am sorry that I snuck out on you. I want you to be able to trust me" Bee stated.

"You are forgiven" Hide stated and Orion nodded, neither seeing that Slugbug had left.

Only once Bee was asleep did Hide and Orion think of what bee had said. "How do you think he knew about us and trusting him?" Hide asked.

"I think a very wise youngling named Slugbug talked to him" Orion stated. Hide nodded and then drifted off into recharge. Orion thanked Primus before falling into recharge as well.


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning, Optimus and Mirage were awoken by knocks at the door, well at least Optimus was while Mirage was still out cold. Optimus hadn't realized that they had slept so long that they had forgotten to go pick up their little ones. Jazz had come over to make sure that everything was ok. Optimus, hearing the banging first, managed to extract himself from his mate and answer the door. Jazz didn't exactly look happy to see the Prime there and without having his sparklings home.

"Mirage forgot to pick up your sparklings, Prime" Jazz stated, obviously a little disappointed at how things had turned out.

"That was my fault, Jazz, I needed some alone time with my mate and afterwards, we fell into recharge. I forgot to set an alarm so that one of us could come pick them up" Optimus stated, telling the truth.

"Well, next time, please comm. You don't know how much it took to settle some of your sparklings down because they missed mommy and daddy" Jazz stated. "I was telling them you would come get them soon."

"Mirage is still in recharge, but I will go forth and pick all our little ones up" Optimus stated.

"Do you even know who he left them all with?" Jazz asked, knowing he only had three of the fifteen.

"I have a guess, and if I know him, he only gave you and your mate three to watch" Optimus stated, surprising Jazz.

"You're right, how did you know?" Jazz asked.

"I know Mirage, he would never let others be overwhelmed by too many" Optimus stated. Jazz just nodded and Optimus took off with Jazz and found all but two of the sparklings – Slugbug and Kryptonight. Optimus had an idea where the two might have been and so he gave them some space.

Slugbug and Kryptonight were at a place where their parents' remains had been entombed. Slugbug and his twin remembered their creators. That was why they often came to visit here after Optimus had privately informed them that the remains had been found and entombed.

"I miss them, Bug" Krypto uttered softly.

"I miss them, too, Krypto" Bug stated, hugging his twin.

"I wish they were still around" Krypto stated.

"In a way, I do too, Krypto, but we have another family that loves us just as much" Bug stated, reminding Krypto of their new family.

"I know. And I know we will see them in the Matrix when Primus calls us home" Krypto stated. He had a tear in his optic as he said it.

"That we will, Krypto, that we will" Bug stated. "Come, now, it is getting late and it is time to get home." Both twins headed for home after that.

Meanwhile, on the further of Cybertron's two moons, Starscream was trying to make his plans. "We must succeed where that foul Megatron failed" Starscream hissed in anger.

"We know that brother, but with only the four of us, including you, we have no chance of defeating the Autobots" Warp stated.

"Don't you think I know that?" Starscream yelled back. "We need more soldiers."

"Maybe we could look at another planet. There have got to be more planets out there with Transformers like us that we could get to join us in our quest" Thundercracker stated. Sundimmer kept quiet, as he knew that if he went against these three, they could easily kill him.

"Yes, let us seek out other planets until we find enough bots to fight once again" Starscream stated and the four took off, looking for others to join their side. They hoped that they could eventually convince enough bots to help them steal Cybertron back from the Autobots. Only time would tell.

Meanwhile, back on Cybertron, the citadels were carefully being rebuilt and restored to their former glory. Bots worked hard and carefully, trying to help each other out when possible and settling problems mostly amicably. What couldn't be handled on site went to supervisors. It only went to Optimus when the supervisors were unable to resolve the issue, which rarely happened. Optimus always checked in with each site at random times and asked for various reports on different citadels. NO supervisor ever knew when Optimus would comm them, and so all made sure they were ready to give any updates to the Prime.

In the base, Buster was not feeling so hot. He had called in to work for the first time ever, as he couldn't even get himself out of bed without feeling extremely dizzy and threatening to hit the ground whenever he got up. Illusion tried to care for him, but was concerned and called for Ratchet to come. Ratchet soon came.

"What seems to be the problem here?' Ratchet asked, not sure why he had been called.

"Buster is extremely dizzy and unbalanced when he stands. I know he is sparked, but something must be wrong" Illusion stated.

"How long has he been feeling that way?" ratchet asked.

"About 24 earth hours" Buster reported. That was way too long.

"I don't like that time line. Let me scan you" Ratchet stated and soon began the scan. Thankfully, it all had to do with the fact that Buster hadn't been getting enough energon. "You need more energon, son. Here, I am hooking up a drip. You should feel better soon" ratchet stated and soon left, after telling Illusion how to handle the drip. Buster felt bad.

"I am not mad at you, love. Being sparked plays tricks on the systems. I will be here to help you. You needn't worry" Illusion assured his mate. Buster slowly began to feel better, thanks to the energon and the rest. "If you feel better, you can go back to work tomorrow" Illusion informed his mate.

"Good, as I don't like laying at home when I could be working and helping out" Buster stated.

"Now rest, or you won't feel better tomorrow" Illusion stated and soon, Buster was resting soundly. Illusion stayed close by, to help with the drip and to make sure nothing else happened. Thankfully, time seemed to go by with nothing going awry. Illusion was grateful.


	7. Chapter 7

The next day, Buster was back at his site and those he supervised were happy and grateful. They liked working under Buster. They didn't like working under Buster's temporary replacement as the bot was rude and often refused to help with anything. Buster knew his replacement for when he was gone was young. Buster hoped he could teach the young bot how to supervise. And so, when Buster came back this day, he commed his supervisory replacement to help train the young bot. The bots working under Buster weren't too sure about this, but Buster hoped for the best.

"What's your name, son?" Buster asked.

"They call me Impulse" the young mech stated.

"Nice to meet you, Impulse. Now may I ask, have you ever worked on a site before?" Buster asked, wanting to know where to start.

"No, I haven't" Impulse confessed. This was his first job. Buster was a bit surprised but didn't let it show. Buster had a feeling that this young bot was the son of a higher up supervisor and thus had received this job.

"Please, I want you to follow me today to see what a supervisor does, as I want you to be a good supervisor" Buster stated.

"OK" the young bot replied. It wasn't that he was a bad bot per se, it was just that he didn't know things.

"Alright, let's go check on those we oversee" Buster stated and Impulse followed. Buster checked in with various bots on the sight and helped out whenever he could, though it was limited due to the fact that the other bots knew he was sparked. When Buster couldn't help, he had Impulse do so. Impulse was amazed to watch Buster and how he worked with the bots. Buster was fair, firm, and helped out. Impulse, liking how Buster worked, decided that he would try to be like Buster, and to Impulse, that seemed to include starting from the bottom up.

"Buster, sir?" Impulse stated once they were alone on a short break.

"Yes, Impulse?" Buster responded.

"I… I don't feel qualified to be in your shoes right now. I… I wish to start at the lowest level, to learn what you have learned by being there" Impulse stated, meaning it.

"Let us go talk to my supervisor, and go from there" Buster stated, wanting to make sure that his supervisor knew what was going on. Little did Buster realize that his supervisor was Impulse's creator.

Impulse went with Buster and they met with Char, a femme who had been put in charge of this site by Optimus himself. Impulse was stunned. He had no idea that his mother was Buster's supervisor.

"Excuse me, ma'am" Buster stated, getting Char's attention.

"Yes, Buster, how can I help you…" Char asked, then saw her son. "And what is Impulse doing here?"

"It had been reported to me that during the time I can't be supervisor, that my replacement for those days was not being respected by those who work under me. I wanted to know why and so I called Impulse in. When I asked if he had any experience, he told me no. And so I took him around today to show him what a supervisor does. I wanted him to be a good supervisor. I still want him to be that." Buster explained.

"But I do not wish to be a supervisor right now" Impulse stated, "as I don't understand what it all entails as I am unfamiliar with much that goes on. I wish to be assigned a worker bot under Buster" Impulse stated, stunning his mother, though not overly so, as she and her mate had tried to raise him to be a good, honest, hardworking bot.

"If that is what you want, then I will allow that" Char stated. Impluse nodded. "then tomorrow, you start working under Buster."

"Thank you, ma'am" Impulse stated, having gathered from Buster it was the most appropriate greeting. Char didn't show it, but she was relieved that her son didn't call her "mom" in that moment.

"You are welcome, now please, get back to work" Char stated. Both nodded and left.

Char commed Optimus. "Char to Optimus, come in Prime."

"Prime here, go ahead Char" Optimus stated.

"I am in need of a new supervisor to replace Buster's replacement" Char stated.

"Really? What about your son, Impulse?" Optimus asked.

"Well, Impulse has decided he doesn't want to be a supervisor right now as he stated he doesn't understand everything that he needs to understand to be a supervisor" char reported.

Unseen, Optimus smiled, as he knew most likely where that had come from – Buster. "Are you picky about the type of Supervisor you would like?" Optimus asked.

"I don't care if it is mech or femme, I would like someone with experience though" Char replied.

"I will try to send you someone soon, Optimus out." Optimus stated and he went to look at the bots he had that had the experience that Char was looking for, and would also get along with Buster and the others.

Mirage came in to Optimus' office as Optimus was looking for a new supervisor for the site. "Energon for your thoughts, beloved?" Mirage stated seeing no one around.

Optimus smiled. "Thanks. I am looking for a new supervisor in the sector and site where Buster works, one with experience" Optimus stated.

"How about Elita? She would have experience" Mirage stated.

"Not a good idea – Char and Elita don't get along and Char would be over Elita" Optimus stated.

"Okay, How about Scatter, you're old friend?" Mirage asked.

"I could ask him" Optimus stated and he commed Scatter.

"Scatter here, how can I help you, Prime?"

"I am in need of a supervisor at a site" Optimus stated.

"I am willing to go. I have been waiting to have something to do" Scatter stated.

"Just wanted to let you know that you will be reporting to Char" Optimus stated.

"Mech or femme, doesn't bother me. I will work hard for whoever" Scatter stated.

"Alright, I am sending you the information. Please report to Char immediately" Optimus stated and sent the info.

"Information received, on my way" Scatter stated, ending the comm as he headed out.

Optimus commed Char. "Optimus to Char, come in, Char."

"This is Char, how can I help you, Prime?" Char asked.

"I am sending Scatter to you as a replacement. He will join you. I ask that Buster be allowed to train him in."

"Alright sir. Will do. Thanks" Char stated, ending the comm. She hoped this all worked out for the best.


	8. Chapter 8

A few weeks went by and things were progressing. Buildings and cities were being repaired and less and less Autobots were having to live out of the base, as the cities that were being rebuilt were starting to house single bots and families. Optimus was pleased to see just how fast things had changed as things had changed as they all worked together. And unlike any Prime before him, Optimus asked that the place for the Prime be completed last.

Many bots were shocked when they heard that. Other Primes, when damage was done, always demanded that the place of the Prime be fixed first. Optimus didn't see it that way. He wanted the others to have their own places first before effort was put into where he would stay above ground. This made the other bots happy to work hard, for themselves and for Optimus.

Optimus was currently located in his office, filling through reports which still littered his desk thanks to the paranoid security director Red Alert. Optimus was just relieved that most of the reports could be filled away quickly, as they had little to do with what was going on.

Once Optimus made his way through about half of the piled stack of data pad reports, Optimus felt a bit off. Optimus wasn't sure what was going on, but he felt a little dizzy. Thinking he was tired and needed more energon, Optimus grabbed a cube of energon and then headed to the berth in his office, hoping that by drinking the energon and then resting, the dizzy feeling would go away. Little did Optimus realize what the truth was.

Meanwhile, in the quarters, with only two sparklings and two younglings, Mirage was feeling off. He ran to the refresher and began purging his tanks hard. Keeper, Flasher, Bug, and Krypto could hear the sickening sounds.

"Wow, mom doesn't sound good" Keeper stated.

"Must have had some bad energon" Flasher stated.

"Couldn't be" Krypto stated.

"And how would you know?" Bug asked, seriously curious as to how his twin would know all about this.

"Because he's been doing this every morning for the past week" Krypto added.

"I don't like the sound of that" Flasher stated.

"Why?" Bug asked.

"Because when that happens, mom is usually sparked with more little ones" Keeper answered.

"Should I comm a medic?" Bug asked.

"I would" Flasher retorted.

"Fine. Slugbug to Ratchet, come in Ratchet" Bug stated, trying to get the medic on the comm even though bug couldn't stand medics or med bays.

"Ratchet here, how can I help you?" Ratchet asked.

"Mirage is acting strange, Ratchet, and Krypto reports that Mirage has been throwing up every morning for the past week. Could you please check on him?" Bug asked.

And before Ratchet could respond, Krypto added "And Optimus has been having dizziness for the past week off and on as well."

Ratchet cursed silently to himself. He had a bad feeling about all of this. "I will check on both of them. Where are they?" Ratchet asked.

"Mom, or Mirage, I should say is at home. Optimus is in his office, looking at reports" Krypto added.

"How do you know where Optimus is?" Bug asked his twin, with Ratchet still on the comm.

"I followed Optimus this morning, as I wanted to make sure he made his way to the office without falling over" Krypto added.

Needless to say, Ratchet was worried about the pair. "I will be there shortly."

In only moments, Ratchet arrived at the quarters, since it was closer to where Ratchet had last been – Illusion's quarters checking on Buster. "He's in the refresher, sir" Keeper informed Ratchet. Ratchet headed there, only to find a weakened Mirage trying not to crash to the floor as he stood.

"easy, Mirage, easy does it" ratchet uttered as he helped Mirage up off the floor of the refresher room. Mirage appreciated the help and headed back to the berth with Ratchet's help. Once in the berth, Ratchet scanned Mirage. Ratchet found what he hoped he would not but it was what he expected. Mirage was sparked. "You are carrying Mirage, twins it seems." Mirage nodded, too tired for words.

"We'll help him get energon when he wakes" Keeper added, knowing how to help care for a sparked bot as he and Flasher had helped Mirage before.

"You do that. I am going to check on Optimus" ratchet stated and he headed out.

Ratchet soon made his way to the office of the Prime. The door was locked, which was a little unusual, but not totally out of place, as Optimus did occasionally lock it when he didn't want to be disturb. This, however, was a medical necessity and so Ratchet used his override code and went in. The door once again locked behind him. Ratchet noticed that Optimus was not at his desk.

After a bit of searching, Ratchet found the Prime napping on the berth in his office. Ratchet was grateful for two things – Optimus was in a good position to be scanned and Optimus was difficult to rouse from sound recharge, as this appeared to be. Ratchet carefully scanned, knowing that the Prime still could easily rouse if need be. Ratchet was undeniably stunned at what the scan had found. This was absolutely unheard of – both mates were sparked at the same time with each other's sparklings. Optimus was carrying triplets once again. Ratchet had assumed that something like this was impossible. Apparently, it was not.

Ratchet, after making his discovery, went to the rec room for high grade. This was too much to handle. Ratchet would have to let Optimus know later, as Ratchet had allowed the bot to continue to recharge. Ratchet tried to think of any other time he had heard of such a thing, but almost nothing came up except a legend of a long-ago couple that had been sparked at the same time and all the sparklings survived. Since it was only seen as a legend, Ratchet didn't put much credence to it. Ratchet could only hope that they and their sparklings survived this ordeal. He also hoped that this discovery wouldn't give the medic a spark attack. Only time would tell.


	9. Chapter 9

Later, on that same day, Optimus roused from his nap. He hated napping in his office, but he knew that when he was dizzy, it really was the only thing that helped it go away. He slowly got up, knowing if he got up too fast, he would most likely kiss the ground and he didn't want to do that, especially in his office. Slowly, he got himself up and got back to the desk. The dizziness was gone, and so Optimus had chalked it up to not eating enough and not getting enough rest. He determined he would go home after reviewing a few more reports.

In the rec room, finished with drinking his second cube of high grade, Ratchet decided that he would go see if Optimus was awake now. Ratchet was still not sure how this had happened, but he knew he had to tell Optimus and Mirage what he had found on their last scan. Ratchet reluctantly headed for the Office of the Prime, knowing that Optimus was likely going to be more receptive of the news than Mirage.

Soon, Optimus heard a knock on the door. "Come in" Optimus stated in his usual manner.

If Ratchet didn't know better, he would say that Optimus was back to normal, but Ratchet knew the truth. "May I speak with you, Optimus?" Ratchet asked as he came in.

"Certainly. What brings you by? Is there a bot who needs medical leave?" Optimus asked, not knowing that Ratchet was coming to inform the Prime of the Prime's condition.

"What brings me by was a report I received from your oldest sparklings that you and Mirage were acting different from normal" Ratchet stated.

"I am doing fine and I am sure Mirage is just tired from watching all the sparklings" Optimus stated, trying to deny what his own systems were telling him.

"You can't fool me, or for that matter, Kryptonight" ratchet replied.

"Kryptonight?" Optimus asked.

"Yes, the youngling has been a thorn in my side, but when I realized why, I knew what I had to do. You see, Kryptonight wants to be a medic, and so, once I figured that out, I began training him" ratchet stated.

"Well, that explains a few things" Optimus stated, "But please, get to your point, Ratchet, as I am busy."

"you and your mate are both sparked at the same time" Ratchet stated bluntly.

"Impossible" came the immediate response from Optimus.

"wrong" replied Ratchet. "I scanned you both. You both are sparked and the sparklings only contain your data and his."

Optimus was at a loss for words and passed out in shock. Ratchet groaned at that. The last thing he had wanted was for the Prime to pass out. Ratchet waited a few minutes and thankfully, Optimus started coming to. "Both of us?" Optimus asked.

"Yes, you have three. He carries twins" Ratchet stated.

Optimus sighed. "Have you told Mirage yet?" Optimus asked.

"No, he was out of it when I checked him" Ratchet stated.

"Let's go tell him, as I don't want him kept in the dark about this" Optimus stated and both soon headed for the quarters.

Optimus was a bit surprised when the only young ones he found in the quarters were Flasher, Keeper, Slugbug and Kryptonight. "Where are your siblings?" Optimus asked the four.

"Oh, we took them to other bots to be watched" Flasher stated, trying to sound like a good older brother.

"They are safe, as they are with family and close friends" Keeper stated.

Optimus wasn't entirely relieved at hearing that, but it did calm him a bit. "Would you four mind going to the Archives for a bit while I talk to your mother in private?" Optimus asked.

"Sure, sir" Bug stated, seeing Ratchet behind Optimus. Optimus was a bit surprised, but glad when the four left.

"I memory serves me correctly, he was sleeping in your berth" Ratchet stated. They headed to the berth room and found Mirage there, appearing to be resting.

"Something is wrong" Optimus stated.

"Well he is sparked" ratchet stated.

"No, trust me, something is wrong" Optimus replied emphatically. Ratchet realized that Optimus was picking up on something other than the sparking. Ratchet scanned Mirage. Mirage had slipped into temporary stasis lock even though his systems were adequately energized. Ratchet was extremely concerned by that. He scanned and found that both sparklings were laying against an energon line, blocking the flow to Mirage's systems. Ratchet quickly brought out a special magnet and gently moved the developing sparklings away from the lines. Ratchet then turned Mirage onto his side. "What was wrong?" Optimus asked, demanding to know.

"He can't lay on his back, as it put both of his developing twins on his lines, which caused him to pass out into temporary stasis lock. He should be coming around here real soon" Ratchet stated, and no sooner had it said it, Mirage roused.

"oh… I don't feel so good" Mirage stated.

"Rest, my love" Optimus replied, trying to calm his mate.

"Why don't I feel good?" Mirage asked.

"You are sparked" Optimus answered.

Mirage processed that answer for a moment. "Are… are you upset about that, Optimus?" Mirage asked.

"No, I am just concerned about something Ratchet told me" Optimus replied.

"What is that?"

"Congrats, you are both sparked at the same time" Ratchet uttered, seeing what effect it would have.

Mirage pulled a "prowl" and glitched for a moment. "You.. you serious?"

"Yes, and the only data in them comes from you two" Ratchet stated.

"Well, Primus can do anything he wants. If he wishes us both to carry, who are we to say anything" Mirage responded, responding better than Optimus or Ratchet thought he would. "More sparklings to love" Mirage stated.

Optimus smiled. He had to agree with that. "You know, our family is never going to believe us?" Optimus stated.

"I think they will, remember stranger things have happened" Mirage added, thinking of Orion having twins one time and Hide getting sparked as well as other things that had happened.

"True, true" Optimus stated. Ratchet, seeing that all was well, soon left and he knew these two knew the drill.

Mirage smiled. "Come to me, baby" Mirage stated, seeing Ratchet was gone.

Optimus purred at that and let out his other side. "Coming!" Orion/Optimus responded. They were both in for a fun time and would go get their other sparklings later.


	10. Chapter 10

Elsewhere, Prowl and Jazz were amazed at how fast Skyfire had shot up in size, even though he was only an advanced sparkling. Jazz and Prowl hadn't realized how big the bot would get, but something told them Skyfire was going to be the size of Optimus or possibly a bit bigger. Thankfully, Skyfire was a "gentle giant" so to speak.

"Are we really at peace, mom?" Skyfire asked.

"Yes, son, we are" Jazz replied. Skyfire was glad and relieved. Jazz just smiled, grateful to have adopted Skyfire.

"I still remember…" Skyfire stated.

"Still remember what?" Jazz asked.

"The day I was found and brought here" Skyfire stated.

"You do?" Jazz asked, a bit stunned.

"Yes, I do. I remember being saved by a red bot. Wasn't too big, but was well built" Skyfire stated.

"Sounds like Ironhide from that description" Prowl stated, having joined in on the conversation after walking into the room.

"I agree" Jazz stated. "That does fit Ironhide, but then Optimus is also red and well built."

"True enough" Prowl stated.

"I would like to meet Ironhide and Optimus if it is possible, to see which one it was" Skyfire stated.

"I will comm Hide, you get to come Optimus, Prowl" Jazz stated. Prowl groaned slightly, but did as asked. Jazz commed Hide. Both bots surprisingly agreed to stop by. "Well, it sounds like both are coming over" Jazz stated, informing Skyfire.

"I am glad" Skyfire stated, patiently waiting for the bots to arrive.

Optimus arrived slightly ahead of Hide, as hide had a bad hip that acted up at times and the Prime did not. Optimus waited for his father to reach the door before the Prime knocked on it. Jazz answered the door, and once the door opened, Skyfire saw both Optimus and Ironhide. Jazz had been right, both were red and well built. But Skyfire knew he would know the right voice when he heard it.

"Hide, Prime, please come in" Jazz stated, welcoming the bots inside. "Skyfire wanted to see you."

"Oh?" Optimus asked.

"He wanted to see us?" Hide asked, his voice ringing a bell with the young one.

"Yes" Jazz answered and he explained about what Skyfire had said about remembering being rescued and wanting to see the bot again. "All he knew was the bot was red and well-built. The only two that come to mind with that description are you two."

"I… I think I know who it was" Skyfire piped up.

"Who?" Prowl asked, looking to the young one.

"I…I think it was you" Skyfire stated, pointing to Ironhide.

Hide smiled. "Yeah, I rescued you, but it was because he (pointing to the Prime) ordered that the youth center be entered and save as many young bots as possible. Also, Optimus refused to build a youth center here, as he wanted all those sparklings and younglings that were saved to have families and real homes."

Skyfire looked to Optimus. "Is this true?" Skyfire wanted to know.

"Yes, Skyfire. The day before I had the Autobots enter the youth center you were found in, another youth center was blown up by Megatron. Most of the sparklings and younglings there, as well as the few adults there, died in the blast. We managed to save only a few. SO determined were we to stop the killing of innocent life that I ordered my Autobots to enter the youth center that you were found in and to rescue all before Megatron could destroy you and the others."

Skyfire nodded, but that didn't answer all of his question. "Did you forbid the building of youth centers here?" Skyfire asked, wanting to know.

"Yes, I did. As growing up, I had seen what life was like for a sparkling or youngling not to have a family of their own. It was sparkbreaking. And so, because of that, I refused to build centers. I informed my Autobots that they would be adopting the young bots. Even my mate and I adopted sparklings that had been left without parents. I wanted all to have a family to go to and love them" Optimus explained.

Skyfire smiled and went to hug both Optimus and Ironhide. "Thank you. Thank you for saving me" Skyfire stated.

"You are very welcome, son" Hide stated, as he was hugged in thanks.

"You're welcome" Optimus replied, as he was hugged by Skyfire in thanks after Hide was hugged in thanks. Skyfire truly was grateful to both. Jazz and Prowl were both glad that they had commed the bots and that the two had agreed to stop by.

Meanwhile, having gotten some time to himself, Mirage went to talk to his twin. Illusion was happy to see Mirage.

"Good to see you, bro, though we will have to be quiet as Buster is resting due to being sparked" Illusion whispered softly.

"It's nice to see you too. I didn't realize that Buster was carrying" Mirage replied softly.

"We recently found out" Illusion replied quietly.

"We recently found out that both my mate and I are carrying, and the sparklings only match our data" Mirage quietly informed his twin.

"I thought that was impossible" Illusion responded in a hushed tone.

"We did too, but Primus does whatever he wishes" Mirage retorted quietly.

"Ain't that the truth" Illusion responded, still keeping his voice low.

"How's buster handling all of this?" Mirage asked.

"He seems to be doing well" Illusion responded, "and I hope he doesn't suffer too many ill effects."

"You and me both" Mirage responded. "Well, I don't want to take too much or your time or wake your sleeping mate. I just wanted to let you know the news."

"Thanks, Mirage" Illusion replied. "Keep in touch."

"Will do" Mirage stated and he soon left. Once Mirage left, Illusion headed back to where his mate was sleeping. He had planned to join buster sooner, but Mirage stopping by had prevented that, but now that Mirage was gone, Illusion could join his mate in bed and did so. Both slept soundly, as did their little ones.


	11. Chapter 11

Later that same day, Mirage headed for the med bay, as he had a question to ask one of the medics. When Mirage entered, the med bay was empty expect for First Aid. Mirage was slightly relieved, as First Aid was nowhere near as uptight as Ratchet was. Mirage carefully approached the young medic.

"Aid?" Mirage asked carefully, so as not to distract Aid too badly.

Aid was a bit startled, as he had had his back to the door, but Aid soon recognized the voice and turned around with a smile. "Hi Mirage, how can I help you?"

"Well, I have a question. You see, Ratchet recently discovered that somehow, mind you I don't know how, Optimus and I ended up sparked at the same time with our own sparklings…" Mirage started.

"That happens occasionally" Aid stated, not surprised.

"It does? Ratchet says it is impossible" Mirage stated.

"Well, Ratchet doesn't know everything" Aid stated with a smirk.

Mirage had to laugh at that. "I guess he can't know everything. But my question was – when do we let the Autobots know that he is expecting, as at some point, they are going to be able to tell?"

"I would give it some time, as if Optimus is anything like before, he will take a while before he starts showing" Aid stated, relieving some of Mirage's concern.

Mirage appreciated the advice. "thanks. So it is possible both mates can end up sparked at the same time without something foul happening?"

"Yeah, long time ago it happened a lot – as I think Primus was trying to restore the transformer race. It was after the war prior to this one that just ended" Aid explained.

"Wow. I didn't know that" Mirage stated.

"Very few bots read medical history like that, including Ratchet" Aid stated. Mirage nodded. "Shall I check on your developing little ones while you are here?"

"Sure, as having you check is better than Hatchet" Mirage stated.

"Careful, he might hear you" Aid answered with a smile. Aid checked on Mirage. "They appear to be right on schedule. Keep up the good work."

"Will do. May I go?" Mirage asked.

"Go on, and please remind your mate to stop by at some point" Aid replied.

"Will do" Mirage replied and he headed out. He missed ratchet coming to the med bay be mere minutes.

Aid was once again busy putting things away when Ratchet entered. "I am expecting Mirage to come in a bit…" Ratchet started.

"Oh he won't be coming to see you" Aid retorted, wanting to see Ratchet's reaction.

Ratchet started to get mad. "Oh he will come and see me, I will make sure of it…"

"No… he won't" Aid started, "because he just came and saw me." Aid let that sink in for a moment.

Ratchet looked at the younger medic. Ratchet started shaking his helm. "No, there is no way he would come to see you."

"He just did, as a matter of fact, I sent him home a few minutes ago, and I told him to send his mate in soon" Aid replied.

"I don't believe you" Ratchet stated, unaware his reaction was because he himself was unknowingly sparked.

"How else do you think I know he came to talk about him and his mate being sparked at the same time and he wants to know when he can tell the Autobots that their Prime is expecting?" Aid asked, using that as clear proof, as up until now, Aid hadn't known that both were sparked as Ratchet hadn't put it in their medical files yet.

It was then ratchet knew Aid was telling the truth. Mirage had just been there. Ratchet settled down a bit. He didn't like to admit he was wrong, but in this case, he was wrong. "Sounds like he was here."

"Yep. Now what's got you so uptight?" Aid asked, rarely seeing Ratchet act like this.

"None of your concern" Ratchet immediately responded.

Aid was concerned at that. "There are only two times you act like this ratchet – you haven't faced enough or you are sparked" Aid stated.

Ratchet glared at the younger medic, though he was glad it was only the two of them at the moment. "I have had plenty of time with my mate and I am not sparked" ratchet retorted, unaware he really was sparked.

"I will be the judge of the latter" Aid stated, "now up on the berth, I am going to scan you." Ratchet, seeing that Aid was not about to back down, reluctantly did as asked. He got up on the berth. Aid scanned. Aid quickly found what he was looking for. "Congrats, ratchet, you are sparked." Ratchet, shocked, passed out from hearing the news. Aid just smirked. This had been a good day for him.

Meanwhile, Mirage returned to his mate, who was at home with the little ones. Mirage, seeing he hadn't been spotted yet, watched as Optimus carefully played and taught the young ones. Mirage smiled, as Optimus was such a great father. It was only when Seaspan noticed his mother Mirage standing near the door and ran over to Mirage that Optimus realized Mirage was home.

"How long have you been there, love?" Optimus asked.

"Long enough" Mirage warmly answered as he scooped up Seaspan. Optimus smiled. "Could you use some assistance, beloved?'

"Boy, could I ever" Optimus answered, feeling something inside.

"Alright then" Mirage stated, picking up on what his mate was feeling. Quickly sparklings were fed and helped into bed. Needless to say, it didn't take long.

Now that the sparklings were all asleep, Optimus had one question for his mate before they spent "alone time" together. "So where did you go?"

"To the med bay, I wanted advice on when we should let the Autobots know that you were sparked once again. Aid told me we could wait for a while" Mirage answered. Optimus smiled broadly behind his mask and soon carried his mate off to their berth so that they could help each other out before falling into recharge.


	12. Chapter 12

Optimus was happy that Mirage had bought some time for them in terms of telling all the Autobots that the Prime was once again expecting. Optimus certainly was like no recent Prime before him. He seemed to be very different, and most bots appreciated that fact. He was not arrogant and demanding like some recent Primes had been and Optimus wasn't afraid to work hard either. It made it easier for those under him to want to work to restore Cybertron.

Meanwhile, having received the shocking news in the med bay, Ratchet knew he needed to tell his mate. Jack was not in the room and neither were any of their sparklings. Ratchet sighed. He figured the sparklings had been sent elsewhere and Jack was in the lab – again. Ratchet didn't like it when Jack was in the lab, as the inventor had blown himself apart many times, often scaring Ratchet though the medic didn't show it. Ratchet just hoped that his mate would come home and come home in one piece.

In the lab, Jack was working with another scientist, Perceptor, on some kind of device. Perceptor carefully and meticulously kept record of the experiment while Jack just plowed ahead. Percy sighed, as he didn't like working with rushed and distracted scientist bots, but they had been assigned to work together by Optimus to find a way to find a more efficient way to process regular energon from raw energon.

"I think it will work this time" Jack stated, eagerly excited.

"I hope so, the last few times, it has blown up to smithereens because you miscalculated something" Percy stated.

"I didn't do that this time, watch" Jack stated, and he turned on the device. It made a loud hum.

Percy was understandably nervous about the sound. "That doesn't sound right" Percy said.

"It will be fine, I'll show you" Jack stated, and he carefully placed a piece of raw energon in the device. Both closely watched what happened. At first, it seemed like nothing was happening except a lot of noise and such. Percy still wasn't sure that this was going to work. Slowly, the machine did convert the raw energon to consumable energon, but it was very slow and noisy.

"That won't do" Percy stated. "That won't do at all!"

"What? It worked and didn't explode" Jack replied, emphasizing the word explode.

Percy shook his helm. "it took much longer than traditional ways to convert the substance we gave it, it made too much noise, and…" was all the further Percy got when the device blew up. Thankfully, neither were harmed. "You were saying?"

"Ok, ok. It didn't work right and it did explode" Jack replied.

"That was try number 15, all 15 in which ended with a bang and a nonfunctional device" Percy stated, trying to figure out how a bot who calls himself a scientist could fail so often and with such destruction.

"I don't need the numbers Perceptor" Jack replied, not wanting to here that type of data.

"But Optimus will want the numbers. He wants to know progress" Perceptor stated. "And I would say we have a lack of it."

"You are wrong, Percy. We have 15 devices that were ineffective in reaching their goal. Therefore, we have made progress because we know we can't use those designs" Jack replied, ever the eager scientist. Perceptor could only shake his helm. "Come on, let's work on device number 16."

"Fine, but this time, I am building it" Perceptor stated.

"Be my guest" Jack replied and soon the two got down to work again. Percy had higher hopes this time, but only time would tell.

Meanwhile, Mirage was out and about with his little ones, having them meet new bots and just be outside of the quarters. Keeper, Flasher, Bug, and Krypto helped Mirage keep the little ones together in a group. Mirage was relieved, as it was difficult to watch all fifteen at once. And as the group was walking, Jazz came upon them with his own little ones.

"Hey Mirage" Jazz called.

"Hey mom" Mirage replied, happy to see Jazz, who had become a mom to Mirage and his twin brother Illusion after the pair had lost their home and creators.

"I see you have all your wonderful sparklings out and about" Jazz stated.

"Well, now that we are free of you know who, it is easier to bring them out" Mirage replied.

"True enough" Jazz uttered. And as the two adults continued to talk, the little ones decided to play with each other. It was really cute.

Elsewhere, Wingspan and his mate Hot Rod were busy watching their own little ones. "I want more" Wingspan whispered to his mate, hoping Hot rod did as well. Wingspan missed carrying little ones.

"I do to, but I don't think I could carry them" Hot Rod stated, not knowing if his systems would allow it.

"I am willing to carry" Wingspan whispered, careful so that the little ones would not hear them.

Hot Rod smiled. "Then I am game if you are" Hot Rod stated, pulsing a heated pulse along the bond. Wingspan bit back a moan. "First, we get the little ones to bed, then we share time together."

"If we must…" was all Wingspan could muster, a little cloudy in his senses from the heated pulse.

"We must, my love" Hot Rod reminded the seeker and soon the little ones were tucked into bed.

"Now you're mine" Wingspan groaned and grabbed Hot rod. Hot Rod merely smiled, as this was going to be so much fun. Both were soon interfacing in many different positions, and on the last session connected sparks. Both enjoyed the release that the sessions had given, and once again, Wingspan ended up sparked. As they cooled off from the hot session, they snuggled close together and then fell into a deep recharge, though it was light enough that if a sparkling cried they would wake. All in the quarters slept peacefully for the next several hours.


	13. Chapter 13

On the far side of Cybertron, an advanced search team finally found an old abandoned energon mine. They had been sent to this far side to see if there would be enough energon and such to once again support a thriving transformer citadel. They would have to send a couple bots into the mine to see if it still had any viable to energon to use, but none of those on the trip had ever had any experience in being in a mine. In fact, most had no clue about being in a mine. One of the only bots left that knew anything about mines was Buster, but he was not allowed to go in them due to currently being sparked. Buster had made the request and Optimus granted it as Optimus knew that Buster knew just how dangerous mines could be.

The group chatted amongst itself. "What do we do now?" Starshot asked, a young adult having been assigned to this group.

"I don't know" Sureshot answered, an older transformer.

"We need to find someone who knows something about mines" Bruiser stated.

"But who knows anything about them? Didn't all the mining bots get slaughtered?" Starshot asked.

"I have heard that there is one still around who knows about mines" Cruiser, Bruiser's twin brother, answered.

"Who is that?" Sureshot asked.

"Some bot named Buster" Cruiser responded.

"I heard he can't go into them because he's sparked" the only femme of the group, Cera, answered.

"That must mean they can be very dangerous" Cruiser stated, knowing sparked bots are medically prohibited from dangerous tasks.

"Huh?" Starshot asked.

"Sparked bots carry sparklings, and if Buster asked to be banned from going into mines due to being sparked, it must mean that they can be very dangerous" Cruiser answered.

"Maybe we could at least comm and talk to Buster to see what advice he has" Bruiser replied.

"Couldn't hurt" Cera retorted. She didn't know how or why she ended up being the leader of this group of mechs, but she assumed Optimus knew what he was doing, or at least she hoped he did.

"Ok, who comms?" Starshot asked.

"You are" Cruiser stated, pointing to the young one.

"Why me?" Starshot asked.

"Because you were given a direct order to" Cruiser stated.

"I didn't hear Cera say anything. Remember, she is the leader, Cruiser" Starshot retorted to Cruiser.

Cera sighed. The last thing she needed was them fighting. "Cruiser, since you seem to know so much, you comm Buster" Cera stated, letting Starshot off the hook for now.

Cruiser shot her a dirty look, but Cera held her own. "Fine I'll comm him" Cruiser stated and he made the comm.

Unfortunately, Illusion intercepted it, as his mate was sleeping. "Illusion here, who is this and how may I help you?" Illusion answered, not sure why his mate was getting a comm at this hour.

"Illusion, my name is Cruiser. The troop of us that Optimus assigned to explore the other side of Cybertron found an old abandoned energon mine. We wanted to explore it, but none of us knew anything about mines. It came up that the only known bot who has been in mines before was Buster. We know he cannot come and explore it with us. We just wanted to seek some advice before moving forward" Cruiser explained.

Illusion listened. At first, he was a bit annoyed, but when he heard the part that they were just seeking advice, he figured that, if Buster was ok with it, Illusion could be ok with it. "I will go talk with Buster. If he is willing to talk, I will have him comm you. If I can't wake him, I will have him comm you later" Illusion stated.

"Ok" Cruiser stated and ended the comm. All the small group could do now was wait.

Illusion went to his mate. Buster appeared to be sleeping, but he really wasn't. "Love?" Illusion asked softly, knowing if Buster was sound in recharge, Buster would not rouse.

Buster opened his optics, "Yes dear?" Buster answered.

"I have had a comm come in that requests your advice" Illusion explained.

"Oh, what advice are they looking for?" Buster wondered, not realizing it was his most dangerous experience and advice they sought.

"They found an old abandoned energon mine and are requesting advice from a mining bot before going forth and exploring it."

Buster quickly got up out of bed and asked to comm the bot immediately. Illusion looked at his mate. "If they explore without proper knowledge, they will likely never return" Buster stated, not wanting the group to be harmed.

"Comm Cruiser, as he is the one who tried to comm you earlier and I intercepted as I thought you were asleep" Illusion stated.

"Buster to Cruiser, come in Cruiser" Buster stated, urgency in his voice.

"Cruiser here, go ahead Buster"

"Please tell me that none of you have entered that abandoned mine yet" Buster pleaded, worry in his voice.

"No, no one has gone in. We were just discussing how we should explore it" Cruiser assured Buster. Buster was relieved, and once Cruiser's comm was on so that every bot could hear it, Buster gave his advice about mines, how to handle them safely, what to watch out for, what could possibly be lurking in an abandoned mine as well as any other information that Buster knew would be important for them to know before entering the mine.

"The biggest thing is, if once you open the entrance and it appears unstable – DO NOT GO IN. If you do, you will more than likely be trapped and then end up dying in the cave, as rescue most likely won't be able to reach you" Buster stated.

The group was glad and relieved to get the advice from Buster. "Anything else?" Cruiser asked. Buster sent a file about energon mines to Cruiser. Cruiser was amazed yet sickened, as Buster had included in the file about secret chambers were former mining bots might be buried as most previous Primes didn't care to go into the mines to take out the remains.

"Alright, thanks for the help" Cruiser stated, ending the comm. They group prepared for the exploration.

Meanwhile, Buster hoped that he had given the group the right advice and that they would come back safely.


	14. Chapter 14

Cera and her team continued to explore the area that they had been assigned to by Optimus. Cruiser, Bruiser, and Starshot had been asked by Cera to explore the old mine. Cera and Sureshot stayed outside, just in case something happened. Cruiser used the information sent to him by Buster to carefully explore the old mine. This one had been well-built and thankfully, appeared to be in no danger of collapsing, though all knew it was a possibility.

"Why are we exploring this dumb old cave?" Starshot asked.

"Because we need to see if the energon here could sustain a citadel once again like it did in days of old" Cruiser answered, a little miffed at the young bot.

"Calm down you two" Bruiser stated, "if we want to survive this, we need to rely on each other, not pcik fights." The other two nodded and the trio moved on into a strange section of the mine.

"Ok, this just looks creepy" Starbolt stated.

"I think I know why" Cruiser stated, and he went to a "secret room." Once cruiser opened the door, meal could be heard clanging, as it was the remains of bots who had died down in the mine.

"Ew… very creepy" Starshot stated, not liking this.

"Buster warned us about this" Cruiser stated.

"Yeah, but I didn't think it was actually true" Bruiser stated.

"Never doubt an old mining bot. They know all the secrets" Cruiser stated.

"Maybe we should bring the remains out and give them a proper entombment" Starshot suggested.

"Once we are done checking out the mine, I think that is an excellent idea. We will have to comm the Prime and let him know" Cruiser stated.

"Well, Buster stated most Primes didn't care…" Starshot started.

"But Optimus isn't like most Primes" Bruiser interjected. Starshot had to nod at that and they continued exploring.

Meanwhile, back at the Autobot base, Buster went to speak with Optimus. Optimus was in his office. "Prime, may I have a word with you?" Buster asked, serious in his tone.

"Please" Optimus stated, recognizing the serious tone. "How can I help you?"

"A short time ago, I was commed by an exploratory team on the far side of Cybertron. They had found an old abandoned mine and weren't sure about exploring it. They commed me, seeming to know I at one time had been a mining bot, and asked for advice. I gave them the best advice I had, but I fear for their safety, sir" Buster stated, telling the whole story of what had occurred.

Optimus listened. He knew Buster knew what he was talking about and that made this all the more critical. "Are you sure they were going to explore the old mine?"

"Yes, sir. They stated they needed to explore it to make sure a citadel could thrive in that area" Buster stated.

Optimus appeared concerned and he commed Cera. "Optimus to Cera, come in Cera."

"Cera, here Prime. How can I help you?"

"It was brought to my attention that you and your group had found an old abandoned energon mine and that you had contacted Buster about exploring that mine. Have any of your team members ventured into the old shaft?" Optimus wanted to know.

"I sent Cruiser, Bruiser, and Starshot inside. Sureshot and I are remaining outside just in case' Cera stated. Buster still appeared concerned when he heard that.

"I think you should call them back" Optimus stated, "as Buster is concerned for their safety" Optimus stated.

"I have tried to call them back, sir, but they tell me to back off" Cera stated. She seemed to get little respect from Bruiser, Cruiser, or Starshot.

"Then I will comm them myself" Optimus stated and he tried to comm the three. Starshot ignored the comm, as did Cruiser, but Bruiser answered.

"Bruiser here" Bruiser answered, thinking it was Cera.

"This is your Prime" Optimus retorted, hearing the snarky way Bruiser had responded.

Bruiser was taken aback. "Yes…. Yes sir" Bruiser stated, stopping the other two, as this was coming straight from the Prime.

"I want you three to leave that mine now. I don't think it is safe for you to be there" Optimus stated.

Starshot heard but asked a question. "We found a secret room with remains, sir. When we leave, cane we bring them out and properly entomb them?" Starshot asked, hoping the others were right – that Optimus was different.

Optimus looked to Buster and remembered Buster's father and the entombment he had been given. Buster looked to Optimus, hoping that Optimus would allow it. "whatever remains you have found up until now may be brought out and be properly entombed" Optimus stated.

Starshot was shocked, but Cruiser and Bruiser weren't. "Thank you sir" Bruiser stated. "We will gather the remains we found and leave" Bruiser stated.

The three gathered the remains of the bots they had found, and headed out. Just as the three left the mine, it collapsed. They were now grateful Optimus had ordered them out of the shaft.

"Is everything ok?" Optimus asked, wanting to know.

"We made it out with the remains we found, but once we were out, the mine collapsed" Cruiser stated.

Buster was relieved to hear that all had made it out. "Please thank Buster for us" Bruiser stated.

"Why is that?" Optimus asked.

"Without his help, we would have never found these remains and been able to give them the proper entombment that they deserve" Bruiser stated.

"I will pass the word along. Please, keep checking the area and see if there are any other sources of energon around them so that a city can be rebuilt" Optimus stated.

"Yes sir" Starshot answered.

"And one more thing" Optimus added.

"Yes sir?" the three bots asked.

"Cera is assigned to lead your group. If you choose not to listen to her again, I will have to punish you, mark my words" Optimus stated.

"Yes, sir" came the reply. Cera was grateful for Optimus' help.

"Alright, keep me posted. Optimus out" Optimus stated. He hoped that this would be the last of the fighting amongst that troop.

Buster, seemingly forgotten, went up to Optimus. "Thank you, sir."

"You are welcome. Thank you for bringing this to my attention."

"You are welcome. Now I need to be heading home."

"Would you like an escort?" Optimus asked, "as I will be heading back to Mirage and your place is right along the way."

"Sounds great" Buster stated, his belly sticking out. Optimus walked Buster home and then went home himself.


	15. Chapter 15

Optimus, after having escorted Buster home, was very glad to be heading to his own place, as Optimus was in need. For him, carrying sparklings made him much hornier and needier as well as moodier than usual. What Optimus didn't know was that Mirage wasn't at home right now and that the sparklings were elsewhere.

Optimus entered the quarters, and was a bit out off by the quietness. Granted, the war had been over for a bit, but he still worried about rogue Cons as Optimus had recently learned not all the Cons had been captured after the last battle. Optimus scanned around and found the place empty. Optimus grew worried as he didn't know that Mirage was elsewhere. Fearing what might be, Optimus commed his mate.

"Mirage?" Optimus commed, worry in his voice.

"Yes, beloved?" Mirage answered.

"Where are you?" Optimus asked, still worried.

"I was helping out Jazz and Prowl. Is there something you needed?" Mirage asked.

Optimus didn't want to say it, but he did need something. "Yes, I need you to return home" Optimus stated, pulsing his need across their bond.

Mirage got the message loud and clear. "Be home shortly, beloved" Mirage stated, before finishing up with Prowl and Jazz.

It was only minutes, but it felt like hours to Optimus, when Mirage finally arrived home. "I am home, lo…" was as far as Mirage got before he was scooped up, pressed against a wall and deeply kissed by his needy mate. Optimus wasn't even really thinking at this point as he was in such need. Mirage enjoyed the intense kiss and slowly rubbed certain areas to at least get Optimus to back off long enough so that they could do this in the privacy of their berth room. Optimus was reluctant to back off, but did so. "Come, baby doll" Mirage stated, leading Optimus to their room. They were in for fun times, especially since little Orion Pax was being called into the game.

Meanwhile, Buster went to talk to his mate, as this whole recent incident bothered buster. The fact that those bots had almost been crushed in the mine bothered him. "I shouldn't have said anything" Buster stated, feeling guilty.

"About what, love?" Illusion asked.

"I shouldn't have said anything about mine exploration" Buster stated and told illusion what had happened.

"I know you feel guilty now, but imagine what may have happened if they had no idea" Illusion tried to say.

"They may never have gone in" Buster stated.

"Worse, they may have gone in and never made it out as they would have no idea how unsafe those places could be" Illusion stated, trying to calm his mate, as a worked up sparked bot was not a good thing.

"I guess you are right" Buster stated.

"They would have gone in regardless, but at least in contacting you, they were able to explore some of it safely before the thing collapsed and they got out before it collapsed" Illusion reminded Buster.

"I guess that is true" Buster replied, feeling a little bit better.

"Now I think you need to rest" Illusion stated to his mate. Buster nodded, really lacking the energy to fight the suggestion. Illusion soon took Buster to the berth and as soon as Buster was down, he was out. Illusion wished he could sleep with his mate, but their four little ones were still up. Illusion wouldn't be able to join his mate until the little ones went to bed.

Elsewhere on the planet, other scouting troops were exploring other areas of Cybertron where citadels had once thrived but the citadels had been destroyed by the recently destroyed Megatron. The scouting troops knew what they were supposed to look for – to see if the area that once did support a citadel could once again support one and how large could it be.

"I am so glad that we can do this without the constant threat of the Cons" one mech, named Speeder stated.

"Be quiet. Not all Cons were captured at the end of the war. Some are still on the loose" AN older mech, named Sheetrock, stated tersely.

"But with Megatron deceased, they won't be as organized" Speeder stated.

"They weren't even that well organized when he was around" A tough looking femme named Armor stated. She had be assigned to this scouting troop as she didn't get along well with other femmes and when she was assigned, this group had no other femmes.

"Quiet. We came here to scout, not fight" the leader, a mech named Burst, mentioned.

"We weren't fighting" Sheetrock stated.

"He's right, we were just commenting about something" Armor added. She, unlike most of the mechs in her troop, respected Sheetrock, who was older than all including Burst. She also respected Burst, who had been assigned to lead the group by Prowl.

"This is so boring" Stated the youngest of the group, a mech named Crash. He was much younger than anyone else in the group and his youthfulness showed though at times like this.

"We can send your useless aft home if you don't want to help" Burst stated to the young mech. Burst didn't put up with that kind of attitude.

"No, I want to help, but so far, we have found nothing" Crash stated.

"You must have patience" Sheetrock stated.

"Shut up, old fart" Crash stated, not liking the older bot's talk.

"Talk like that again, and you will be sent home, Crash" Burst stated.

"I suggest you quit while you are already behind, Crash" Armor stated. That shut Crash up, but only for one reason – he had a crush on Armor and so whenever she told him to do something, he did it in hopes she would fall for him. Armor knew of the crush, but wasn't interested and was waiting to see how long it would take for Crash to figure it out that she wasn't interested in him. In the meantime, she put the crush antics to good use. Burst actually appreciated it.


	16. Chapter 16

Burst's scouting troop soon settled down for the night, as it was dark on this side of Cybertron and they figured that they would be better able to scope things out for Optimus if they waited until daylight came back around. Sheetrock was glad for the break, as he was exhausted, since he was much older than most of those in the group. He was also the first to fall into recharge.

"Looks like Sheetrock is out" Speeder stated, starting to feel the need for recharge as well.

"I think we all could use some recharge" Burst stated, encouraging the others to get recharge.

"Sounds good to me" Armor stated, extremely tired from the trek.

The only one who wasn't tired was Crash. "I'm not tired." Burst shook his head at hearing the young mech say that.

"Then you can guard our camp" Armor retorted, really needing a recharge.

"Ok" Crash answered excitedly. He thought if he did really well that he would get one step closer to Armor and maybe she would like him more. Soon, all the bots except Crash were in recharge. Crash kept close optics out. He had learned from his father, Red Alert, how to keep close optics on everything. Nothing escaped the young one's optics. Fortunately or unfortunately, the night passed by uneventfully. Soon, the others were rousing.

Sheetrock was the first up, and he seemed to by almost young and spry as he got up. Burst was next, followed by Speeder and most of the others. The last to rise was Armor. She had gotten really low on charge and energon and so her recharge cycle was lasting longer. "Where is Armor?" Crash asked, worried at not seeing Armor with the other bots.

"She took a long recharge cycle. She was running pretty low" Burst stated, having talked with Armor before they recharged.

"Is she ok?" Crash asked, needing to know for his own anxious feelings.

Burst chuckled softly. He now saw the huge crush Crash really had on Armor, even though it was not reciprocated. "She'll be fine. I wouldn't try waking her, though, she'd get pissed off pretty easy" Burst stated.

"You sure she'll be ok?" Crash asked one more time, his question starting to bother the others around.

"I'm fine" came a groggy femme voice. It was Armor and she was not having one of her better mornings.

Crash looked around and was happy to see Armor was up and ready to go. "You worried me" Crash stated, already pestering the femme.

"Femmes sometimes have to sleep longer" Armor explained, though it was only a partial truth. Not knowing any better. Crash just nodded and didn't ask any further.

"Alright team, first energon, and then we explore" Burst stated. The troop did as Burst said, taking in energon and then heading for the site of the former citadel, hoping that today that they would have good news for Optimus.

Meanwhile, back at the base below ground, Optimus was just coming to after he and his mate had had some adult fun together. Optimus was feeling a bit low on energon and as he got up, he realized Mirage had left some energon for the leader to drink. It was only then that Optimus even realized that Mirage was no longer in the berth with him, but likely up and about doing things. Before attempting to get up, Optimus carefully downed the energon left for him. It was enough to replenish his systems, and so he was able to get up out of the berth without feeling like he was going to kiss the ground the instant he stood.

Optimus slowly and carefully made his way out of their berth room and found Mirage cleaning up the place, as it had been a big mess thanks to all the sparklings they had. Optimus was amazed at how "hot" his mate looked in all the various positions that Mirage had to get into to clean, but Optimus figured that part of that was due to his own processor reacting to the leader being sparked. Optimus continued to watch as Mirage finished up. Optimus didn't want to startle his mate as his mate was busy with something.

Mirage didn't realize that he had an audience watching him clean, but he knew the place needed to be cleaned before he went to get the little ones. Mirage was busy doing what he thought he needed to since Optimus was still recharging, or so Mirage thought. It was just then that Optimus made a small noise, instantly drawing Mirage's full attention. Mirage was a bit stunned, well, more than a bit stunned, he was shocked. "How long have you been there?" Mirage asked, trying to hide the fact that he wasn't able to get his aft off the floor in this position.

"Long enough" Optimus answered carefully before going over to his mate and helping Mirage off the floor without ever being asked.

"Thank you" Mirage stated, he didn't want to admit it, but being down on the floor like he had been to clean made it difficult for him to get back up thanks to being sparked. Optimus noticed.

"You know, you shouldn't do that if it makes it hard on your systems" Optimus stated.

"But no one else will do it" Mirage replied, still trying to be fiercely independent of others even though he was bonded.

"Others will help, but you have to ask, love" Optimus stated.

"And show that I am weak and incapable, no thank you" Mirage retorted.

"Love, it shows great courage to ask for help when you need it. It shows neither weakness nor incapability to ask for help. It shows wisdom" Optimus offered, trying to get his mate to think of it in a different way. Mirage just sighed. "Drink up and then we will go together to get the little ones." Mirage nodded, drank up, and then they went to pick up all their little ones together.


	17. Chapter 17

After Optimus and Mirage went to go and bring their sparklings home, it was time once again for Mirage to head to the med bay for his next checkup. Optimus hadn't scheduled his, as he was too busy, and Ratchet had talked Mirage into this one as Mirage liked to steer clear of the med bay. And so, with Optimus as sparklingsitter, Mirage headed for the dreaded med bay.

In the med bay, Ratchet was waiting, as he was expecting both Mirage and Optimus, not realizing Mirage was not going to come with Optimus. Someone had to stay with the little ones, Mirage figured. Mirage soon entered the med bay a few minutes late.

"Why are you late and where is Optimus?" Ratchet asked in his usual gruffness.

"It is none of your business why I am late, and Optimus is watching the little ones" Mirage retorted, seeing if it would get Ratchet to back off.

"It is my business as you medic" Ratchet stated, wanting to know.

Mirage, not knowing that Ratchet was sparked, gave every single detail of what he and Optimus had done for the last few hours, leaving out getting the sparklings. It was raunchy and Mirage had no way of knowing that he was working up the interface-needy medic who hadn't expected Mirage to unload with details like that. The only thing that stopped Mirage was seeing Ratchet start to get warm and moan. "Ratchet, don't do that in the med bay" Mirage stated, a bit weirded out.

Ratchet blushed when he realized what he had done. He worked to cool himself off so he could check on Mirage. Mirage was still a bit weirded out by what had happened, but Ratchet was able to complete a thorough exam. "Alright, you are right on track" Ratchet stated, "now get out of my med bay." Mirage left in a hurry, not wanting to be near the medic.

Once Mirage left, Ratchet had to go to his office. The details he had heard had made him horny, but he couldn't go home. Ratchet was in the middle of his shift and Jack was in the middle of his. Ratchet would just have to pleasure himself in his office and then wait till later for more. He finished his job, cooled off, and then went back to work, excited to head home once Aid showed up.

Meanwhile, Mirage practically ran back to his own quarters. The sight of a riled-up medic was not one Mirage easily got out of his mind. Mirage was soon at his quarters, having practically ran all the way.

"What's wrong love?" Optimus asked, stunned by the appearance of his mate so soon after the visit.

"Ratchet's being weird" Mirage stated, leaving it at that for now, since the sparklings were present.

"Well, Ratchet is Ratchet" Optimus stated, his own code for 'we'll discuss this later.'

Mirage was relieved for a bit as he and Optimus worked with the young ones. The older ones were soon off for more lessons while the younger ones were soon down for a nap. "Okay, love, the sparklings aer asleep or elsewhere. What bothered you so?" Optimus asked.

"Well it started when Ratchet asked why I was late and why you didn't come with me" Mirage stated.

"And what did you say?" Optimus wanted to know.

"I told him it was none of his business why I was late and that you were busy watching the sparklings."

Optimus winced a bit at that. "First off, it is never right to tell the medic it is none of his business and second, you never told me he wanted to see both of us" Optimus stated.

"I didn't know he wanted to see both of us either, I thought he just wanted to check on me" Mirage stated.

"Continue…" Optimus stated, not sure he liked what direction this was taking.

"Well, he told me it was his business to know… so I told him in a very detailed manner what you and I had done in the last few hours" Mirage stated. Optimus turned bright red at that. "It was after that that Ratchet deemed to act weird. He scanned me and told me everything was on schedule but man, he was acting weird" Mirage stated, still clueless as to just exactly what he had done.

"Mirage, you never say those things to anyone else, especially not a bot who is sparked" Optimus finally let out. Optimus was totally embarrassed to hear what Mirage had said, but also realized why ratchet had reacted the way he did.

"But it won't bother me" Mirage stated, still not getting it.

Optimus had to cool down a bit before speaking again. "Mirage, my love, part of the reason that Ratchet reacted like he did to you… very detailed account… is that Ratchet is sparked" Optimus stated, waiting for the news to sink in on Mirage.

Mirage listened carefully, and then heard the one thing he didn't expect – "Ratchet's sparked." Mirage hadn't known. "I didn't realize that" Mirage uttered in disbelief. "That would explain a lot."

"Yes, it would. Now would you mind watching out little ones while I go check on our medic" Optimus asked.

"OK" Mirage answered and went to watch over the sleeping little ones.

Optimus headed out and made his way to the med bay. He could only hope Ratchet had had enough time to "put himself back together" so that the medic could check out the Prime.

"Ratchet, you here?" Optimus asked, and a flying wrench just missed the Prime's helm. Ratchet had meant to miss the bot.

"You were supposed to come with Mirage" Ratchet bellowed, mostly back to his usual self.

"Well, we can't leave our sparklings alone with no sitter" Optimus stated. "Mirage is with them now, so I can to see you."

"Very well, up on the berth. Let's scan you" Ratchet stated.

"Alright" Optimus replied, sitting down on the berth and getting scanned.

"Ok, all is on schedule" Ratchet stated.

"Good, now when do you get off of work?" Optimus asked.

"When Aid comes in, in an hour" Ratchet replied.

"Good, I want you to spend time with your mate as soon as you are off" Optimus stated.

"Oh I plan to" Ratchet stated.

"And one more thing, please don't ask my mate for any more detailed accounts of what he was doing before he came" Optimus asked.

"Don't worry, I won't. I learned the hard way" ratchet stated. With that understanding, Optimus left and Ratchet waited until he could go home.


	18. Chapter 18

Ratchet managed to make it the last hour of his shift, but as soon as First Aid came, Ratchet was gone. Aid didn't ask, as he figured the sparked bot needed time with his mate. Aid had no idea how right he was. And as Aid prepared for whatever would come to the med bay, Ratchet ran for his quarters.

At the quarters, Jack was there alone as he had sent the sparklings off. Jack had felt what had happened to his mate in the med bay and was prepared to help his mate when the medic came home. Everything was just so when Ratchet burst in through the door. Jack knew by the will look in Ratchet's optics that foreplay was out the window and a full-on interfacing session was needed.

Jack, thankfully, had made sure that he was fully energized and ready to go. It was a good thing, as ratchet, being sparked and horny, made the session last much longer than normal. After the whole shebang, Ratchet was exhausted and low on energon. Jack was glad he kept some in their berth room.

"Drink" Jack said, as he held up the cool cube of energon to the medic's lips. Ratchet drank only as fast as his mate allowed. "We don't need you purging your tanks." Ratchet, if he could have, would have rolled his optics. Jack sometimes was a little too cautious, but the medic did appreciate it most of the time.

Once Ratchet was back to his usual levels, he thanked his mate. "Thanks for the help, you had no idea how much I needed the interfacing session and the energon."

"I got a hint. Now tell, what made you so riled up in the med bay?" Jack asked.

"I asked a smart question and got too detailed of an answer" ratchet replied, not wanting to reveal the truth, as his medic oath prohibited it.

"Need more information than that, as very little riles you up" Jack responded.

"I can't give you more than that, you know, medic's code" Ratchet stated.

"I suppose" Jack stated, still wishing he could figure it out, but knew Ratchet wouldn't spill the beans since it had to do with something in the med bay.

"Anyway, I think I should have a scan over the little ones I carry" Ratchet stated, trying to change the direction of the conversation. Jack merely nodded, wanting to see what this "self-scan" entailed. Ratchet began the scan and Jack watched, fascinated by how intricate and delicate it was. Ratchet was soon through. "Looks like they are on target" Ratchet stated.

"That was fascinating. Can all bots do that or just medics?" Jack asked, ever the eager scientist.

"All bots can scan themselves generally, but only medics have the tools and training to do a more thorough self-examination" ratchet explained.

Jack nodded. "If you are feeling better, should we go get the sparklings?" Jack asked. Ratchet nodded and they headed out to pick up their little ones.

Meanwhile, on the other side of Cybertron, Cera and her group as well as Armor and her group were exploring the sites of two different ancient cities. Cera and her group had learned the hard way to be wary of old mines and such. Armor and her group had learned that it was important to get enough rest while out exploring. Neither team realized that the citadels they were studying were ancient sister citadels, the two closest citadels on this side of the planet even though they were several megamiles apart from each other. The two teams kept exploring, hoping to find something that would allow them to report to Optimus that life could return to these two ancient cities.

Elsewhere, far out in space, Starscream was slowly and methodically gathering up an army of bots. Some were former Autobots gone rogue, some were cons that had not been captured and some were new bots that had no idea about the war or the two sides. Starscream liked those bots best of all because he could mold their thinking about the whole situation. His army wasn't big enough yet, but Starscream was starting to become a bigger and bigger threat as time passed. And given enough time, he would become almost as big a threat as the deceased Megatron.

Back in the base, Optimus and Mirage were talking about the sparklings that were developing inside them as well as the rest of the bots who seemed to be carrying more sparklings. "You know love, we are going to have to tell the Autobots at some point" Mirage stated, speaking directly about the sparklings Optimus carried since they had finished discussing other carrying bots.

"I do realize that, but if this is anything like before, I can still hide this for a while" Optimus retorted. Optimus still didn't like being sparked, but at least this time, they were going through it together. That made it a little more bearable for Optimus.

"Don't look at me. I wasn't the one who decided to make both of us sparked at once" Mirage stated, knowing that only Primus could create such a blessing.

"I know, but I still don't care to carry" Optimus stated, his systems not built for carrying.

"All I can say is that Primus is either preparing for something or replacing something" Mirage answered, trying to encourage his mate.

"Probably replacing the ones he lost during the war to rebuild Cybertron" Optimus replied, thinking of all the bots that had been lost during the civil war that recently ended.

"Well, it makes sense" Mirage stated, thinking much as Optimus.

"I suppose you are right, love" Optimus stated, snuggling into his mate.

Mirage smiled. "Does someone wish to come out and play?" Mirage stated, trying to lure out the shy Orion.

Optimus squirmed and smiled at that. Mirage always seemed to know how and when to lure his other persona out. "I'm ready!" came the reply. Mirage smiled and led his mate into the berth room so that they both could have fun together.


	19. Chapter 19

And as Optimus and Mirage were spending time just the two of them, Red Alert was being pulled away from his post by his own needy mate, Inferno. "Inferno, I need to protect the base" Red alert shouted, which fell on seemingly deaf audios.

"The war is over, the prime is safe and I need you" Inferno stated, yanking the smaller security director away from his post. "Besides, you trained your replacement well. I need you."

Red Alert was reluctant to leave his post, but had little say or choice in the matter as Inferno was already carrying the smaller bot back to their quarters. Red Alert often forgot how needy his mate was when sparked, and this time was no exception. They barely made their way back to their quarters when Inferno started feeling up Red Alert to get the bot in the mood. Inferno had to work hard, as Red Alert wasn't the easily bot to rile up for interfacing – for other things, yes, but not for facing. Thankfully, Inferno knew just the right trick and soon they were going at it.

In the security room, a bot named Recon was working. He had been trained in by Red Alert, and while not as paranoid as the actual security director, Recon was extremely thorough as he watched over the security of the base, including the security of the Prime. Optimus had never told anyone, not even Mirage, this but Optimus appreciated when Recon worked, as Optimus got very thorough reports without any conspiracy mumbo-jumbo.

Recon was scanning the perimeter of the base, when he spotted an unrecognized bot. Recon commed Optimus. "Optimus here."

"Optimus, I must report to you that there is an unknown bot approaching the underground base from the southeast corner. I don't recognize the bot and while I don't wish to alarm you, I think the bot must be checked out" Recon reported.

"Send me the coordinates and I and a few other bots will go out to meet the bot" Optimus stated. Recon sent the coordinates. "Thank you, Recon. Please keep watch as we go out and see this bot."

"Yes sir" Recon stated and he went back to the monitors while Optimus gathered some bots to head out and meet the approaching bot that Recon did not recognize.

Optimus and the few bots he had chosen, such as Prowl and Ironhide, went out to meet the bot that was approaching the underground Autobot base from the southeast corner. It didn't take long for the small group to meet up with the apparently strange bot. Optimus instantly transformed to his full Prime mode. "State your name and your business for coming here" Optimus said in his most Prime voice.

"You? You don't recognize me?" the bot answered, unaware he was so covered in sludge that he didn't look like himself.

"No…." Optimus stated, but that voice sounded familiar.

Scatter transformed. "I'm Scatter, don't you recognize me?"

Optimus was a bit stunned. "Uh, Scatter, have you taken a look at yourself lately?" Optimus asked.

Scatter looked down at his arms, they were covered in sludge. Now wonder no one recognized him, he was still covered in the sludge from when one site had an accident. "There was a small accident at our construction site, a pipe blew. And in order to fix it, I had to step in. I didn't realize that I had gotten so much sludge on me, sir."

"I have something that will help ya" Ironhide stated, and he used cans of cleansing fluid he always carried on himself to help the other bot clean off. Only then was it obvious who it was. It really was Scatter.

"Is everyone at the site ok?" Optimus asked.

"I think so" Scatter stated.

"Lead me to the site" Optimus stated, bringing all the bots to the site with him. Scatter led the way.

Soon they arrived. The other bots were working hard and the citadel was coming together. Optimus, still in his vehicle mode, drove into the site, careful not to run over anything or touch anything, as he wasn't familiar with some of the devices laying around. Work stopped when word spread that the Prime had arrived. The supervisors made their way out to meet the Prime. "I want a report" Optimus stated, transforming into his bot mode.

"We had a small issue, a pipe blew from a clog that had not been previously cleaned out as it should have been. Scatter fixed the issue and the bot who failed to clean the pipe out received a reprimand, was suspended from the job for a day, and is now back to work with close supervision" one supervisor reported.

Optimus was pleased to hear that this had all been addressed but he was not pleased that he had not been made aware of the issue. "I am grateful that you handled the issue, still I would have preferred to find out about it in a different manner" Optimus stated.

"Please don't be upset, sir. They were going to tell you, they just hadn't had time yet" Scatter stated.

"Is this true?" Optimus asked the supervisors.

"Yes, we wanted to make sure that things were safe first and then we were going to report our findings to you. We were almost done with our investigation" another supervisor answered and showed Optimus the data pad that showed what the supervisors had found, had done about the situation and what steps were needed to prevent this type of thing from happening again. Optimus, scanning over the data pads that the supervisors had given him was satisfied that they had not been trying to hide anything from him, but were rather trying to make sure that the report they made had no holes in it when they reported it to him.

"Very well, I understand this time, but next time I would like to be made aware of the issue right away" Optimus stated.

"Yes sir. Would you still want us to investigate?" They asked.

"Yes, an investigation is always warranted when something happens, I just want to know what happened before it starts and what the findings are after it is completed" Optimus stated. The supervisors nodded. All understood and soon Prime and the bots that came with him left.


	20. Chapter 20

After the fiasco at the site where Scatter was assigned to work, Optimus commed every team that was out exploring as well as every team that was out doing construction as he wanted to make sure that no other issues like what had happened at the one site were happening at any other sites. All team leaders of exploratory teams and all supervisors of construction sites reported in that there had been no issues like the one mentioned, but a couple new small details came to light during one of the talks with an exploratory team. Optimus listened carefully to the report and decided that he would not be too upset with the bot, as the new details were minor but Optimus did remind the bot to report all pertinent information in reports, and the bot agreed to do so.

After making all the comms and getting all the reports, Optimus looked to the top of his desk. It was still littered with various reports, mostly from Red Alert, although now that Recon had been assigned to security detail, Optimus saw less conspiracy laden reports and more thorough security reports about goings on. It was a welcome break. Knowing the pile would only grow bigger if he didn't at least start to tackle it, Optimus began to read some of the reports, setting his internal clock that at the three hours make he would stop for the day.

Meanwhile, out in the field, Cera and her team were discovering that this burned out and utterly destroyed citadel would be an excellent place to rebuild, as there were many energon deposits and flowing liquid energon that could help this place thrive as long as the energon was carefully managed and not wasted. Cera congratulated her team.

And even though Cera had spoken to Optimus about an hour ago, she knew he wold want to know this. "Cera to Optimus, come in Prime"

"Prime here, go ahead Cera" Optimus stated, knowing Cera most likely found something as he had spoken to her about an hour ago and she had nothing new to report at that time.

"This ancient citadel that you sent my team and I to seems to be a place that would be worth rebuilding, sir" Cera stated.

"What citadel are you in?" Optimus asked, as he had sent many exploratory teams out.

"We are in the citadel that went by the Name Feron" Cera staetd.

"What have you found?" Optimus asked.

"We have located several deposits of unrefined energon that are acceptable to be turned into regular energon and we have found several streams of liquid energon here as well. It would seem to be a place that could house many bots so long as resources are used wisely and not wasted" Cera reported.

"We would have to have the rivers checked to make sure that there is no contamination from the citadel's destruction" Optimus stated.

"Then you will need to send me a scientist bot as no bot on my team is trained to test energon" Cera stated.

"I will send you a bot shortly. Until then, don't drink the energon you have found and stay safe" Optimus stated.

"Yes sir" Cera stated.

"Optimus out" Optimus stated, ending the comm. After ending the comm, Optimus commed Jack to come to the Prime's office.

"You called, Prime" Jack answered.

"Yes, I did. I need to know if you have a recommendation for a scientist who could be sent out to test the safety of recently discover energon rivers and energon deposits" Optimus state, knowing he would be unable to send Jack out due to Ratchet being sparked.

"I recommend Perceptor, Prime" Jack stated.

"Perceptor?" Optimus asked.

"Yes, like myself he is a scientist, but unlike myself he is not bonded or seeing any bot to my knowledge" Jack stated.

"Do you know if he has worked on testing energon?" Optimus asked.

"He has, as far as I know from what little he has told me" jack replied.

"then please send him to me" Optimus stated.

"Can do, Optimus" Jack stated and he hurried off to find Perceptor.

"Hey Percy" Jack called out. Perceptor sighed, as he hated that nickname at times. "Optimus wants to see you, something about energon testing."

"Energon testing?" Perceptor asked and jack updated Perceptor. The update worried Perceptor greatly. "If Optimus is willing to send, I will go as testing energon to make sure it's safe is a high priority."

"Optimus is in his office, go" Jack stated and off Perceptor went. In what seemed like no time flat, he was in the Prime's office.

"I understand you wish to send someone out to test the safety of recently discovered energon deposits and rivers, sir?" Perceptor asked, showing he had been briefed by Wheeljack.

"Yes, as Cera and her team were exploring the destroyed Citadel of Feron and found energon deposits and rivers. They think it could be enough to re-establish a citadel there. My concern is that the energon might be too contaminated from when Megatron destroyed the citadel" Optimus stated.

"I am willing and I will go" Perceptor stated.

"Are you trained to study the safety of energon?" Optimus asked, wanting to be sure.

"Before the war, I chief scientist for testing energon safety. I would have been chief scientist for Cybertron, but Sentinel didn't like me" Perceptor replied, "but he couldn't stop me from being top energon testing scientist, as I studied energon as well as many other things such as diseases that affect a bot's systems from a chemical and scientific stand point."

"then you sound well qualified to me. Go, and report to me your findings" Optimus stated.

"Yes sir" Perceptor stated and he headed out to the coordinates that Optimus had given Perceptor which had been sent to Optimus by Cera.

"Prime to Cera, come in Cera"

"Cera here, Prime, go ahead" Cera replied.

"I am sending Perceptor to you. He knows how to test energon, please help him when he gets there" Optimus answered.

"Ok, we will watch for him" Cera stated.

"Optimus out" Optimus stated, ending the comm. He hoped this team had found another citadel that could be rebuilt. But only time would tell.


	21. Chapter 21

In a concerned hurry, Perceptor made his way quickly over to the other side of the planet where the destroyed citadel of Feron was and where Cera and her team were exploring. He arrived much quicker than they had anticipated. "Wow, you arrived much faster than we expected" Cera stated and the rest of her exploratory team nodded.

"Well, between being asked to check I energon is viable and being informed that it is an urgent matter, I can travel very quickly" Perceptor stated. "Please show me to the first site you wish me to test."

"Over here" called out Bruiser. It was a small buried site with a small amount of unprocessed raw energon in it. Perceptor went into the cavernous area and scraped several sample carefully away from the material that they were embedded in.

"Why so careful?" Speeder asked, clueless.

"Because energon in this raw state can explode if not taken care of properly" Perceptor explained.

"You mean, if we went in and ripped this out, it could blow up in our faces?" Cruiser asked.

"Exactly. This is energon in its pure, raw, unadulterated form. The stuff we consume has been processed so that we can consume it, either naturally or through chemical means" Perceptor explained and he started testing the samples. The others were quiet as he did so, as Perceptor had asked them to be. After several tests, none of which the other bots seemed to understand, Perceptor reached a conclusion. "This mine is safe. Though raw, this energon could be harvested and used to support a citadel here."

The group was elated to hear the news, but Perceptor cautioned them. "What's wrong?" Speeder asked.

"Just because one site is not contaminated does not mean that other sites and rivers are not contaminated. I must check each site and river to ensure that the energon here is safe" Perceptor explained to the group. "Bad energon could easily kill a transformer if it is bad from poisoning or some other form of contamination."

They led him to all the sites of raw energon that they had found first. In only one of the sites did he find contamination, but it was a type that would be boiled out when the energon was processed. "So far, so good" Cruiser stated.

"But I still must test all the flowing rivers and streams of energon" Perceptor stated, knowing those were more likely to be contaminated from either previous bots living in this area or from the destruction of the area by Megatron. The team led Perceptor to each river and stream that they had found. Perceptor took a sample of each. And each sample was tested with equipment that Perceptor always kept on him and used for this type of testing.

The others were nervous as this testing seemed to take longer than all the previous tests. Each sample appeared to look like normal energon. But some were not, as Perceptor soon found out. The energon he tested from the southwestern corner of the former citadel was contaminated badly. Perceptor found the other rivers and streams to be of decent quality. Perceptor went back to the stream that he had found to be contaminated. And when he looked around, he noticed a waste processing plant nearby that most likely had dumped its content into this stream. "Ah, now I see. This was contaminated by the former citizens of this citadel, as this was a waste processing plant and they dumped some of their wastes into this stream. Thankfully, this stream connects to none of the other streams or rivers flowing through this area."

"So do you think a new citadel could live here? Could it be rebuilt?" Cera asked.

"I think bots could safely occupy this area again, so long as they are careful and manage their resources well" Perceptor stated.

"That is awesome news" Speeder shouted.

"But I must caution you. If the contamination from this stream were to get into the other streams, this citadel would be unable to sustain itself" Perceptor stated.

"Talk about a mood killer" Speeder retorted.

"I must state all the facts, Speeder, whether you like them or not" Perceptor stated.

"Would you like to make a report to the Prime with me?" Cera asked, trying to stop the impulsive speeder from getting into a fight.

"Yes, as he must know" Perceptor stated, and the two went off a little ways to make their report.

"Boy, he's a stick in the mud" Speeder stated.

"Shut up, Speeder. If you can't handle the truth, go home" Cruiser stated. Speeder growled, but Bruiser held Speeder back so that the young bot couldn't attack anybody or anything.

"I think when we get home, Ratchet needs to scan you" Bruiser said to Speeder. That was enough to get the young bot to behave.

Meanwhile, Perceptor and Cera made their report to Optimus. Perceptor told of all his results and what he had found and his recommendations for the citadel. Optimus listened. And once the report was finished, Optimus had a question for Perceptor. "DO you think that this citadel should be rebuilt and do you think it will be sustainable?" Optimus asked.

"As long as my recommendations for the energon streams, rivers, and sites are followed, this citadel can be rebuilt and should remain sustainable. If they will not follow my recommendations, then we should leave this citadel in its current condition" Perceptor stated bluntly.

Optimus carefully processed what he heard from the two. The citadel could be rebuilt and be sustainable as long as certain regulations were kept. "Then I think I will send out another group of construction bots to start work" Optimus stated. "Cera, you and your team are to remain there so that you can help those I send out."

"Yes sir" Cera stated.

"And Perceptor, I want you to writer out your recommendations as regulations and leave them with Cera so she can show the bots I send and then I want you to return, as we may have another site that will need your expertise" Optimus stated.

"Yes sir" Perceptor stated, and soon did as asked.

"If that is all, I will sign off" Optimus stated.

"That is all sir" both stated.

"Prime out" Optimus stated, signing off. Perceptor gave his written regulations to Cera and left. Cera and her team waited for the construction bots to arrive, hoping it would be sooner rather than later.


	22. Chapter 22

Soon, a construction crew reached the far-off citadel of Feron. Cera met them as they arrived and showed them the regulations to restore the citadel that Perceptor had left regarding the reconstruction and energon use for the citadel of Feron. The supervisors carefully studied the regulations and recommendations as well as the safety tips and hazards before starting to assign the crew to talks for rebuilding. Cera was relieved that none of the mechs that Optimus had sent as supervisors for the rebuild treated her like she was less than them. The mechs treated her as an equal and listened to what she had to say.

And with the new crew there, Bruiser decided that it would be best if either he or his brother Cruiser took Speeder back to get looked at as Speeder was acting odd and annoying, well, moreso than usual. After a "discussion", it was found that Bruiser would take speeder back to the underground base while Cruiser would stay and help Cera with the construction bots. Cruiser saw Cera as a sister like bot, one to protect but not smother, one to help but also allow to do things independently.

And so, as reconstruction of Feron began, Bruiser was taking Speeder back to the base, under the guise of "we need to get our new assignment from the Prime." Speeder, being young, believed the bot and followed behind. Speeder had no way of knowing that Cruiser was bringing Speeder back to the base for a medical checkup.

Recon, up in the security office again as Red Alert was "busy", saw the two bots coming and in recognizing them, allowed them to come near the base and then enter it. Recon had to laugh as he looked at the expression on the two bots' faceplates. Speeder looked excited and naïve, while Bruiser looked cunning and like he had something up his sleeve, which in a sense he did. Recon watched as the pair headed into the base, but instead of heading towards the Prime's office, they headed for the med bay. Now, Recon knew something was up, but he knew it was between the two bots and nothing for him to be concerned about.

Speeder noticed they were headed for the med bay and not Optimus' office. "Um… Bruiser. This isn't the way to Optimus' office" Speeder stated.

"Well, Optimus asked us to meet him in the med bay. Besides, we have to decontaminate from being in that cave that almost took us" Bruiser stated, not quite telling the whole truth.

Speeder bought it though. "Ok, if that is what the Prime said."

Luckily for Bruiser, it just so happened that Optimus was in the med bay getting his maintenance check when the pair entered. Optimus didn't see the two, but they saw him. Bruiser smiled, this was working better than he had hoped. Speeder saw Optimus and didn't question anything. They headed for the chamber that Mirage had built for decontaminating after dangerous missions. Bruiser went first and decontaminated himself and then had speeder do the same. But as Speeder was in the chamber, Bruiser talked to Ratchet.

"Hey Ratchet, could you check on Speeder, he just doesn't seem to be acting right" Bruiser stated.

"I can, where is he?" Ratchet asked.

"IN the decontamination chamber. We were exploring a mine that almost collapsed in on us" Bruiser stated, but his underlying tone gave Ratchet a hint that this was a bit more devious than Bruiser had explained to the young bot.

"I will look at him" Ratchet stated. Speeder was soon to come out of the chamber.

"Check on me now so when he comes out, he won't suspect anything" Bruiser stated. And Ratchet did as asked, so that when Speeder emerged, he noticed that Bruiser was getting looked over and so Speeder sat on a berth and waited his turn.

When Ratchet was finished with Bruiser, Ratchet went to speeder. Ratchet scanned and what he found was a lot of viruses. NO wonder Speeder was acting off. "Speeder, I must put you on an antiviral program" ratchet stated in all seriousness.

"A what?" Speeder asked.

"You are full of malware and virus codes. I need to update you antiviral software so that your systems can rid you of those dangerous viruses. You are lucky you came in in time."

Speeder nodded. He had learned you don't challenge Ratchet and so, the medic was able to set up the antiviral and run the program into Speeder. But Ratchet discovered something else. Being around Bruiser seemed to make Speeder's spark go haywire. Ratchet needed to see something, so he asked bruiser to come over. Bruiser came over. "I started him on antiviral software as he had some viruses" Ratchet stated, secretly scanning Bruiser.

"I thought something was wrong" Bruiser replied, unaware of what his spark was doing, which was going nuts around the young mech. Ratchet smiled. "Will he go back to his normal, annoying self after this?"

"Yes, yes he should. Now you should go get rest before Optimus reassigns you" Ratchet stated. Bruiser took the advice and left the med bay.

Ratchet was the only one who knew that Optimus had seen the whole thing. "So, what do you think Prime?" Ratchet asked.

"I give it a week, and they will be on each other" Optimus stated.

"I think it will be a few days" Ratchet stated.

"Oh?" Optimus stated, feigning surprise.

"Yeah, scanning their sparks. Now that they don't have a mission and I know you won't resend them for a least a week, I give it a few days" Ratchet replied.

"Well, a week or a few days, I hope when they find out they are happy" Optimus stated.

"Me too, as the last thing I need to hear is those two yelling at each other again" Ratchet stated.

Optimus nodded. "Speaking of needing to see someone, am I finished with my check up, Hatchet?" Optimus stated, knowing it would rile the medic up a bit.

Ratchet growled at that. "Yes, but make sure you are on time for your next one."

"Got it hatchet" Optimus stated and then left, heading for Mirage. Ratchet just shook his head. Why oh why, he thought, did certain bots like to drive him nuts by changing his name. He figured it must just be a way the other bots were teasing him in a friend like way. Still, he could have done without it. He went back to work, as there were soon other bots to see.


	23. Chapter 23

As Optimus headed for home and Mirage, he ran into Bruiser in a random hallway. Instead of going back to his place to rest, Bruiser seemed to be pacing the hallway. "Bruiser?" Optimus asked, stunning the bot out of his musings.

"Sir? How long have you been there?" Bruiser asked, trying to "put himself back together" so to speak.

"I was just starting to walk by. Is something the matter?" Optimus asked, offering the bot a chance to talk.

"I don't think so, sir" Bruiser replied. He wasn't telling the full truth, but he didn't want to explain himself to the Prime.

"Are you sure?" Optimus asked, offering one more opportunity to the other mech.

Bruiser sighed. The question was innocent enough and the Prime seemed to have a way to make even the most reluctant bot to talk. "No, sir."

"What seems to be the issue?" Optimus asked, moving them off to a side area.

"It's speeder sir" Bruiser stated. "He just… he just frustrates everyone including me."

Optimus listened, but even he could tell that while Speeder seemed to annoy Bruiser, Bruiser felt conflicted. "What does he do that is so bothersome?" Optimus asked, trying to feel this all out.

Bruiser sighed before telling of things that Speeder had done and while none were dangerous, with the exception of when they went in the mine, Optimus could tell by the number of times Speeder seemed to go out of his way to do something to Bruiser, this may be more than a crush. "…what are you thinking of doing, sir?" Bruiser asked at the end of his tale.

"Well, if he is that bothersome, I could reassign him to another team" Optimus answered, wanting to see what reaction that would bring out.

Bruiser shook his helm at that. "No, sir please don't reassign him. Could you maybe just talk to him?" Bruiser asked. That answer spoke volumes to Optimus.

"I can't speak to him now, as I am heading home and Ratchet still has him in the med bay. You could go talk to him if you like, but I won't be able to until at least tomorrow" Optimus answered, giving Bruiser the first opportunity to speak with Speeder.

"But, sir, he doesn't want to listen to me" Bruiser stated.

"Maybe now that you showed concern by bringing him to the med bay for a maintenance check so he could feel better showed him that you at least care about him as a friend" Optimus replied.

"If you say so, sir" Bruiser replied, having not thought of it that way.

"Go, I think you should go talk to him" Optimus stated and he watched as Bruiser headed towards the med bay. Once Bruiser had turned a corner that led to the med bay and was out of Optimus' line of sight, Optimus headed home. He needed his mate.

In the med bay, Ratchet was being very meticulous about the running antiviral program going into Speeder. Speeder just watched.

"You've been unusually quiet" Ratchet stated, knowing Speeder was quite the chatterbox to anyone and everyone.

"Well, I learned long ago not to sass you when you threw that wrench at me for wreaking havoc on the ship and Optimus wasn't available to discipline me" Speeder stated.

"But this seems more that just you don't wish to bother me. I knew you from before this mission. While respectful, you still would never be this quiet" Ratchet stated, trying to see if he could ferret out the truth.

"So what, maybe I don't feel good and I want to be quiet?" Speeder retorted, sounding even less like his usual self.

"You can talk to me. I am very good at hiding secrets – after all, I am a medic" ratchet stated.

Speeder looked at the medic with a look. "Just leave me be" Speeder replied.

Ratchet decided to try another route. "So, should I update Bruiser on your condition since he brought you in?" Ratchet asked for two reasons – permission to do so and to see if he could get a reaction out of the young bot.

Boy, did Speeder react to that, as the young bot's spark seemed to go nuts, and Speeder seemed to be more standoffish. "You can tell him I'm ok, and that is it" Speeder replied.

"Fair enough" ratchet answered, knowing well-enough he had received the answers he was looking for. The fact that Speeder was so reactive to Bruiser's name told Ratchet all the medic needed to know. Ratchet kept working on things, tweaking this and that.

Next thing either knew, Bruiser had entered the med bay yet again. Speeder had his back to Bruiser, but Ratchet spotted the bot, though Ratchet said nothing as it was not his place to say anything. Ratchet made a few more adjustments and then headed for another part of the med bay, leaving the two bots alone.

Bruiser was a bit surprised, but seized the opportunity he had been given. "You ok, kid?" Bruiser asked, having always addressed Speeder like that, though this time felt a bit different.

"I'm fine" came the short reply. Speeder this time felt his spark's reaction, but didn't want to believe it.

Bruiser had expected the short answer, but hadn't expected his own spark's reaction to being around the younger bot again. "Good to hear that you are fine. Is there any way we can talk?" Bruiser asked.

Carefully, Speeder turned around to look towards Bruiser. And before saying anything, Speeder studied Bruiser from top to bottom. It was only now that Speeder seemed to see some of Bruiser's better features. "I suppose we can talk" Speeder finally said. Bruiser carefully approached and the two began talking.

Meanwhile, in the quarters, Mirage was addressing all of his mate's needs, intimate or otherwise, and only once those were done did Optimus reveal what he had recently learned. "Well, just like you and I, those two need to learn things about each other on their own to see if it is really meant to be "Mirage stated. Optimus nodded, as Mirage was right. "And hopefully soon they will find their answers."


	24. Chapter 24

As Mirage and Optimus spent some time together, Bruiser decided that talking to Speeder while in the med bay would be best because then Speeder couldn't just run off like he had done many other times. Speeder was essentially "stuck" having to listen. Speeder allowed Bruiser to talk thought Speeder was actively trying not to listen, though that strategy was failing, as Speeder felt a light slap on his arm.

"Hey!" Speeder stated, opening his audios and trying to talk.

"How else was I supposed to get your attention when you turned off your audios" Bruiser stated, "You always try to ignore me when I speak."

"Well… you didn't have to hit me" Speeder retorted.

"It was a light tap on your arm" Bruiser replied, as he knew he had tapped the bot lightly.

"Didn't feel that way" Speeder replied.

"If you hadn't shut off your audios and ignored me, I would not have had to do that" Bruiser explained. Neither realized that Ratchet was listening to all this. Ratchet tried not to, but he had to chuckle inside when he heard the two sound like an old bonded pair arguing about nothing in particular. Ratchet was also making sure it didn't go any further than that in terms of an argument, as Speeder was still recovering.

Speeder sighed as he listened. He wanted to shut his audios off again but his spark wouldn't let him. Bruiser noticed the change and was relieved. "I am nothing like my twin brother Cruiser" Bruiser stated, having seen how much trouble Speeder gave Cruiser.

"How am I to know, you both seem to act and think in the same manner" Speeder replied.

"I am sorry that it seemed that way. Cruiser is younger than I am, by a few hours. And while he can be a good leader for things at times, he isn't always the most tactful or respectful bot" Bruiser answered, already showing he was different as Cruiser rarely apologized for anything unless forced to do so.

"You are sorry?" Speeder asked, puzzled by that.

"Yes, I am" Bruiser responded.

"Wow" Speeder stated. He began to realize maybe he had really misjudged Bruiser. While Bruiser was rough, tough, and a good fighter, he was also gentle and caring once one went beneath the surface.

"I know I haven't always been easy on you, but I wanted to push you so that you would push yourself. You always tend to be so hard on yourself" Bruiser informed Speeder. Speeder was stunned into silence as he listened to what Bruiser had to say. Speeder thought back on all the times that Bruiser had pushed the younger bot. Speeder realized he had been hesitant at those times and the push was needed, but Bruiser never pushed Speeder into anything dangerous. Bruiser remained quiet, not wanting to push Speeder too far.

Speeder looked at Bruiser. Granted, Bruiser was a big bot, nearly as big as the Prime, but that was not what Speeder saw this time. This time, when Speeder studied the bigger bot, Speeder noticed other things – including how vulnerable the big bot had just made himself in front of Speeder. Speeder was in awe. He had never really met another bot who treated him so well, even if it meant pushing the younger bot along.

"You know something… my spark is acting strange around you" Speeder finally fessed up.

"Mine has been acting up around you for much longer than you or I realized" Bruiser stated.

"I… I am not ready to bond yet, but could we be friends?" Speeder asked.

"We can be friends. Take all the time you need, as bonding is a decision not to be taken lightly" Bruiser explained.

"Can you… can you tell me what a spark bond is?" Speeder asked, showing his youth. Bruiser, looking into the young bot's eager optics, explained exactly what a spark bond was and what it entailed. Only after the thorough explanation did Speeder understand why Bruiser had said it was not a decision to be taken lightly. "Thank you. I understand now. I don't think I am ready for that yet, but I would like to be close friends for now" Speeder said after having everything explained.

Bruiser smiled. "We can talk later, I will let you heal for now" Bruiser stated, before getting up, leaving a soft kiss on Speeder's cheek and then heading out of the med bay. Speeder just smiled.

Ratchet, in the next room over in the med bay was thoroughly impressed by what he had heard. Knowing that Bruiser was now gone, Ratchet went to check on Speeder. "Sounds like you have a good friend there" Ratchet stated.

Speeder, startled out of his musings, shot the medic a look though the look disappeared when Speeder realized what Ratchet had said – "Friend." "Yeah… guess I do" Speeder stated, before drifting off to sleep. Ratchet allowed the bot to do so, as Ratchet didn't plan to let this bot go from the med bay just yet as Ratchet had more medical work to do on the bot.

Meanwhile, back in Feron, things were progressing and the citadel's old structures were either reinforced or destroyed and new buildings were starting to rise in place of the old. The Construction bots who were there followed the recommendations left by Cera and Perceptor as these bots didn't want to build a citadel only to not be allowed to live in it. They worked carefully, unaware that they were being spied upon by an enemy most had assumed was dead.

Starscream, who had re-entered Cybertron's atmosphere, was studying the bots. He was enraged that things were progressing so well on Cybertron. If Starscream had his way, these goody-two-shoes would be gone and he would run Cybertron with an Iron fist. But Starscream didn't attack at this time, as he was greatly outnumbered. He decided that he would bide his time for now. He blasted back into space, trying to once again find more for his own army.


	25. Chapter 25

Back in the underground base, Optimus was snuggling with his mate. He was relieved that their sparklings and younglings were elsewhere, as Optimus just was craving attention – the kind of attention that he was usually too busy to get. Mirage knew just what Optimus needed and was spoiling the Prime. Optimus knew this couldn't happen often, but he enjoyed it when it could happen. And once they were just snuggling, Mirage and Optimus started talking.

"Your mom stopped by before you came home" Mirage informed the Prime.

"Really? What did mom want?" Optimus asked, as it was unusual for Orion to just stop by.

"Well, Orion said that some of the bots working around here have started working on the castle of the Prime, where the Prime is supposed to live" Mirage stated.

"I asked them to save that for last" Optimus stated, not quite as happy about the report as Mirage thought he would be. In fact, to Mirage, Optimus sounded angry, though it really was only disappointment.

Mirage pulled away. "I thought you'd be happy to hear such a report. Now I am glad I told you instead of Orion" Mirage snapped at Optimus, the illusionist's own systems feeling out of whack. Mirage left, knowing that yelling at his sparked mate would do no good.

Back in the berth, Optimus sighed. He was upset at himself. Mirage was trying to bring good news and Optimus had fouled up again and pushed Mirage away. Optimus sighed and tried to get up out of the berth – a task easier said than done. Optimus didn't admit it, but he still marveled at how Mirage could be fully sparked and still get himself into and out of their berth without any assistance most of the time as Optimus didn't seem to have that skill. It took the Prime a bit longer before he was finally out of the bed and not about to land face first on the floor.

Once Optimus got his balance, he went in search of his mate. Mirage didn't seem to be around but Optimus had a feeling that Mirage hadn't left the quarters, he had just disappeared from sight. "Mirage?" Optimus called out softly. Mirage didn't answer, but a shaky energy form seemed to catch Optimus' attention. "Mirage, I am sorry. I am not mad, I just didn't wish that they put me first in the construction. I want them to have homes before they replace the old castle with anything new" Optimus explained, as to Optimus the place of the Prime was the least important place to rebuild.

Mirage appeared, close to where Optimus had found the energy form. His systems were in need, but he had ignored their needs to put everyone else's needs first. Mirage looked tired and worn out even though he was fairly young. The sparklings, the younglings, Optimus and other bots seemed to be higher on Mirage's priority list than his own needs. Optimus realized now what was going on. Without saying a word, Optimus carefully scooped Mirage up and took him to the refresher room, where Optimus could help scrub off Mirage's dirty exterior.

Mirage just let himself be taken care of, as he really didn't have a lot of strength to fight it, not that he really wanted to fight it either. Optimus made sure the cleanser was just warm enough to Mirage and then began scrubbing the bot off, getting rid of dirt in areas that Mirage had been unable to reach and clean. Mirage was starting to feel better, but still felt low. Optimus was careful as he cleaned his mate off. And then, once cleansed and dried, Optimus fed Mirage in the berth. Mirage was stunned but wasn't going to refuse to drink the energon, as Mirage felt low.

Optimus tried not to show it, but he felt bad about all of this. He felt bad that Mirage felt such an obligation to others that Mirage failed to take time for himself. Optimus wasn't sure what to do about that, but for now, Optimus gently spoiled his mate, in ways Mirage didn't realize could feel like being spoiled.

"I'm sorry" Mirage muttered after having been cleaned and felt his energon tanks fill back up.

"For what, my love?" Optimus asked, holding mirage close.

"For being an aft to you" Mirage stated.

"Love, no bot is perfect" Optimus replied, reminding Mirage that Optimus loved Mirage for who Mirage was.

"But still…" Mirage started to say before he was interrupted with a kiss from Optimus. Mirage held onto the kiss for as long as Optimus allowed and was sad when Optimus pulled away.

"Love, we all make mistakes. I have made more than my fair share. You give and give and so rarely take time for you" Optimus explained as he gently gave Mirage a massage. Mirage just purred as kinks were ironed out in his frame thanks to the massage. Optimus just smiled, having learned that he could give just as well as he got from his mate.

Meanwhile, Armor's group were studying the citadel that they had found. Something about it bothered the group of bots who were exploring it.

"this feels so exposed" Sheetrock stated.

"Well, we don't have to worry about Cons anymore" Crash said.

"I still think they are some on the loose" Armor stated.

"I'd protect you, Armor" Crash eagerly answered.

"I hear Starscream is still alive" Sheetrock stated.

"You mean that foul mouthed double-crossing seeker might still be alive?" Burst asked.

"It is highly possible. NO one has found his remains and none of our brigs hold him. If he is alive and on the loose, he could be a dangerous threat" Sheetrock stated.

"I ain't afraid of no stupid seeker" Crash stated emphatically.

"I'd love to see you tell that to his face" Armor retorted jokingly.

"Well he isn't here or I would" Crash stated. IT wasn't the answer Armor was hoping for.

"Let's get back to work" Burst stated, not liking this citadel any more than the rest of the group. They didn't realize that they had stumbled upon the ancient home of the seekers -the Citadel of Vos, but something felt very, very off.


	26. Chapter 26

"I hate to say it" Armor stated, "but this looks like Vos."

"But I thought it had already been found and aerial bots were helping with it" Crash stated in his usual whininess.

"I was once told an old legend" Sheetrock started. While the comment didn't make sense, Burst decided to ask about it.

"About what?" Burst asked.

"About the tale of two citadels named Vos, an ancient one and a more recent one" Sheetrock answered.

"Judging by the looks of this, if this is one of the citadels of Vos, this has to be older" Armor stated, looking around them.

"tell us more" Burst encouraged Sheetrock, wanting to hear more about this legend.

"Well, legend and rumors say that the ancient citadel of Vos was vast and appeared barren because, though flyers, they preferred to live underground to hide their numbers. While not outright rejecting grounders, grounders had more rules to follow here than seekers since seekers could fly and grounders for the most part could not. But being friendly, the grounders built a town nearby. I can't remember what they called it according to the legend, but it was supposed to be a sister city to this, if this is the legendary citadel of Vos. It was supposedly destroyed or abandoned long before the golden age of Cybertron, though rumor has it, some never left, but went below ground into a special place and remain in stasis lock, waiting to be woken up by a seeker medic who was supposedly foretold to them" Sheetrock explained, telling the old story he had heard as a sparkling, hence he didn't remember all the pieces as Sheetrock was considered a 'ancient' bot by some.

"Wow!" Crash exclaimed, excited by the story.

"Oh please, it's just a legend" Armor stated.

"Legends always contain a grain of truth, Armor" Burst stated.

"I think we should start looking for a gateway to under the ground" Sheetrock suggested.

"Good idea… maybe what we seeker lies under us" Burst stated.

The exploratory group continued on. They looked around, and sure enough, Crash was the first to find a hidden door way to the underground citadel. "Careful" Sheetrock shouted.

Crash being crash didn't heed the older bots word and soon slid down the deep shaft that had been exposed, landing with a hard thud once he reached the bottom. "OUCH!" came an echo-y reply as Crash crash-landed.

"I warned him" Sheetrock uttered, shaking his helm.

"Well, now how do we get down there?" Armor asked.

"Very carefully. If you look, according to legend, there should be a steep set of stairs grounders of old could use to enter the area" Sheetrock answered.

"I see it" Burst stated, pointing it out. The others carefully made their way down the creepy old stairs that were still in remarkable shape considering.

Crash was waiting for them at the bottom. "Check this out, guys. You are never going to believe this."

The others followed Crash's voice and when they did, they came upon something that astounded them. There, before them was the real citadel of ancient Vos, pristine as ever. The only creepy part was that no one seemed to be living in it. The citadel seemed like a ghost town.

"Wow, I can't believe it survived" Sheetrock stated.

"And in such good condition" Sheetrock stated.

"But where are all the bots who are supposed to live here?" Crash asked.

"Well, if you remember the story Sheetrock told us, those who remained here made themselves in suspended animation. I would suspect that they are in one of these buildings, all together" Armor stated.

"I guess that would make sense" Burst stated and the troop headed on.

They went past all kinds of fancy buildings that seemed cared for but they thought couldn't have been. They looked for any kind of what might be considered an important building, and soon stumbled upon one that was in the back corner of the citadel.

"This is strange, why all the way in the back corner?" Crash asked.

"Strange to us, but not to these seekers" Sheetrock stated, though he didn't have a full explanation either.

"Let's go in and see what we can find" Burst stated and they all went in to the strange building. And sure enough, they found bots in suspended animation. But that wasn't all.

"I hope my femme instinct is wrong, but it says these bots are not only in suspended animation, they are all sparked!" Armor stated.

"NO way" Crash answered, he couldn't believe it.

"It is possible, as these seekers would want to be able to restore their citadel if they can be aroused from this suspended animation" Sheetrock stated.

"But there is no seeker medic" Crash stated.

"Well, not yet, technically" Burst stated.

"What do you mean?" Crash asked.

"Optimus' adopted son Kryptonight is a seeker and is being trained by Ratchet to be a medic" Burst stated.

"But Kryptonight is only a youngling" Armor stated.

"The legend doesn't sound like it was too specific" Burst stated. "If Optimus will allow it, we should comm Kryptonight and Wingspan to come out here."

"Why Wingspan?" Crash asked.

"Optimus would never let Kryptonight leave on his own right now and Wingspan is another seeker" Burst stated.

"I think it's worth a shot" Armor stated. Sheetrock remained quiet, just studying what they had found.

"I'll comm Optimus" Burst stated and commed the Prime explaining the situation.

Optimus upon listening to the request, granted the request as long as Kryptonight would be flying out with an adult. Soon, Optimus sent Wingspan and Kryptonight out to where the exploratory group was.

"I'm picking up a strange vibe here" Wingspan stated as they flew in.

"Yeah, me too" Kryptonight stated. "I am not sure why they requested us. This looks like it is in the middle of nowhere."

"tell me about it. But if we are requested, obviously something more is going on" Wingspan answered and both flew to the door that had been opened. It was wider than they expected. "It looks like we could fly right down that shaft."

"Then let's do so" Krypto stated and soon the two seeker entered the shaft, having no idea what they soon would see.


	27. Chapter 27

The shaft was perfectly designed for seekers to descend and then land in their robot forms. "Wow" Krypto stated, "I've never seen anything like this."

"Nor have I" Wingspan mentioned, "But I think if we take this tunnel we will find the bots who sent for us."

"Why did they send for us?"

"Well, you are a youngling and no one is going to let you go this far away from base alone, as for me, other than being your chaperon, I have no idea."

"But why me? Why did they want me?" Krypto asked as they walked.

"I wish I knew, Krypto. I wish I…" Wingspan stared to say, and then saw the enormous citadel that lay ahead, pristine as if it had never been destroyed.

Krypto was listening, and when Wingspan stopped talking, Krypto looked and was also amazed. "where are we?"

"No idea, but come, we must go find the others" Wingspan stated. Something about this area felt familiar to him, but he didn't know. He had no idea that his ancestors, the seeker ones, had come from this very citadel millennia ago.

The pair wandered around and soon found the special building, "A temple of Primus? Here?" Wingspan stated, seeming to know the importance of this building thanks to his seeker programming.

"Why would it be built here?" Krypto asked, seeming to also understand the significance of the building thanks to being a seeker.

"I don't know, but let's go in" Wingspan stated and the two went inside, surprising the others who were there.

"Who are you?" Crash asked angrily, not recognizing the pair.

"That is Wingspan and Krypto, you fool. And watch your tongue, seekers can be deadly when pissed off" Burst stated, none of them knowing the significance of the structure in which they stood as they had never seen one like this.

"You are in a temple of Primus, built as seekers would build a temple. What are you doing here?" Wingspan asked, fearful of what the bots might have done.

"A temple of Primus?" Sheetrock asked, completely stunned.

"Yes, millennia ago, this was how seekers built a temple to Primus" Krypto answered, having studied seeker history.

"Oh boy. You two better come with us, we found something amazing" Armor stated.

"What have you found?" Wingspan wanted to know before they went any further.

"Seekers, what appears to be pregnant seekers, in suspended animation" Armor explained.

"What does that have to do with us?" Krypto asked, not sure why he had been called here.

'According to a legend I was once told, in the original citadel of the Seekers, when their citadel was either threatened to be destroyed or they had decided to move, some remained behind, in suspended animation. It was rumored that only a seeker medic would be able to bring them back to life" Sheetrock explained.

"But I am no seeker medic, I am still training under Ratchet" Krypto stated.

"But you are the only seeker we know who is anywhere near being a medic" Burst responded.

"Take us to this chamber you speak of" Wingspan stated, wanting to see this all for himself. The grounder bots did so, leading the two seekers into the special room where the seekers were in suspended animation.

And a strange thing happened, as Krypto entered the room, because he was connected to Primus through his twin Slugbug, Krypto soon realized only he had the information and know how to restore these precious seekers. Primus was speaking directly through the twin link from Bug to Krypto. And though only a youngling in training, Krypto was doing things he had not even be taught yet. Burst was concerned as he watched, but Wingspan held him back. "Do not interrupt" Wingspan said somewhat angrily, causing all the team to remain quiet and in the background.

Krypto went from seeker to seeker, scanning them and learning of them, as well as the seekerlings that all carried inside of them. He didn't say it, but judging by code, at least one of these seekers was an ancient ancestor to Wingspan and one was an ancient ancestor to Krypto and his twin, even though Bug was a grounder. Krypto closed his optics, and when he reopened them, they had changed color. And suddenly, Krypto began speaking in ancient seekerese, a chant that Primus had taught the seekers long ago as a way to worship Primus. And the others felt a strange rush of wind and light. Krypto spoke in words that were not his own and a voice that was not his own. And as he did so, life was returning to the seekers who had been left here in suspended animation.

The others stood way back, including Wingspan. This was somewhat frightening to see and hear, even though this was the power of Primus at work. None of them had even seen it on such a grand scale. The seekers were rousing from their age-old slumber and soon were up and about. They were confused and a bit scared from the goings on, but remained where they were as they realized that this was the one bot that Primus had foretold of. And with each bot now out of induced slumber, Krypto returned to his usual form, coloration, and voice.

"Greetings. I mean you no harm. My name is Kryptonight. I am training to be a medic, and only have a little bit to go before I become a full medic" He told them.

"then you must be the one Primus foretold to us ages ago" One of the femmes stated.

"I am. My twin is a portal for Primus" Krypto stated.

"Then you are the one foretold, as Primus told us the medic would be a twin to a portal for Primus" a mech replied.

"But why have you come now?" Another mech queried.

"Because the great civil war is over and the Prime, Optimus Prime, has sent out bots in order to restore the citadels lost during the great war" Krypto stated.

The others, minus Wingspan, were too shocked to speak. "We can take you to the Prime if you wish. He is a kind and generous Prime" Wingspan stated.

"That was also foretold" another femme spoke, "that we would not wake until a kind and generous Prime was in power."

All were stunned. "Let us go to see Optimus Prime" Krypto stated, and the seekers soon followed Krypto and Wingspan, leaving the grounders in shock. This wasn't a legend, this was true, there had been another Vos, home of the seekers and they had found it.


	28. Chapter 28

Kryptonight and Wingspan were soon leading the dozen seekers, six mechs and six femmes, home to the main citadel where the Autobot underground base was located and where the Prime would reside once construction was done. The younger seekers learned that two of the seeker mechs were sparkmates, the other four mechs were bonded to four of the femmes and two of the femme seekers were not bonded as they had been added to make sure there were an even number of mechs and femmes saved and carrying on the seekers. Krypto and Wingspan also learned that with the five bonded pairs, only one of the pairs carried their own sparklings, the other mate, all the mechs for the femme-mech pairings, carried seekerlings from other bots as they had wanted to preserve as much data as possible.

"Doesn't that bother you?" Wingspan asked, seeing how the Autobots he had grown up around be bothered by such a thing.

"No, it doesn't bother us to carry other bots' seekerlings as we knew at the time that we were put in stasis and suspended animation that when we woke, we would need diversity of codes and so we gladly were sparked with other codes so that more lines could carry on" one of the mechs explained.

"Can you tell me your names, so I can come ahead and let Optimus know who is coming?" Krypto asked.

"I am Rainer" said the mech with Golden coloration, "and I am bonded to Pearl, my femme sweetheart from my youth."

"I am Pearl" the smallish white femme with silver stripes down her wings.

"I am Nightfall" another mech stated, a mech deep blue in color. "And my mate is the femme Sunsetter"

"I am Sunsetter" The femme said, a femme with yellow, orange, red, and slight variations of the three colors.

"I am Opal" said one of the femmes who grayish coloration seemed to shimmer as she moved. "I have no mate. I joined to balance out the mech-femme balance."

"I am Starglider" the other single femme stated, who was more of a tan color. "I joined for the same reason Opal did. We are best friends from sparklinghood and had decided to do this together."

"They call me Artic Cat" another mech stated, light blue in color with white trim. "I am bonded to the mech, Snow Cat."

"I am Snow Cat" the white with silver trim mech stated. "Artic took me in from the street, as I had gotten lost. After we got to know each other, we found our sparks calling for each other. I carry our little ones while he carries another friend of ours little ones who was too weak to carry any sparklings." Krypto didn't say anything, but he had detected an ancestral link between himself and Artic and Snow.

"I am Tuner" Said a black and white mech. "My mate is Spinner, the pretty black and while femme." Krypto looked to the two. He had scanned them, both of them seemed to have ancestral links to Wingspan.

"I am Spinner" the black and while femme started. "And You, young one, remind us of one of our grandbabies" Spinner stated, pointing to Wingspan.

"I do?" Wingspan asked.

"Yes, very few seekers have black stripes like you do. Something about you reminds me of our youngest grandson, Jazzmin" Spinner stated, not knowing that Wingspan didn't recognize that name at all, but the bot was talking about Wingspan's grandmother.

"I will have to take your word for it, as that name is not familiar to me" Wingspan stated, as his mother Jazz had rarely talked about Jazz's own creators.

"I am Stunray" the last mech stated, coloration of varying shades of yellow. "And my mate is Stingray."

"I am Stingray" A spunky femme with green coloration stated. "I was named Stingray because my father told me when I was sparked, every time I touched something, it seemed to get "stung" with a jolt of current. I only later learned to control that ability."

Krypto smiled. "thank you for telling me your names, now I will inform Optimus that we are on our way."

"Please do" Wingspan stated.

"Krypto to Optimus, come in Prime"

"Prime, here, go ahead Krypto" Optimus replied, sounding kind even over the comm.

"I am returning with 12 seekers that we found in suspended animation in a seeker temple built for Primus. They have been restored and wish to see you" Optimus replied.

"I will welcome them, please tell me who I am welcoming.

"Stunray and his mate Stingray; Tuner and his mate Spinner; Artic Cat and his mate Snow Cat; Opal and her friend Starglider; Nightfall and his mate Sunsetter; and Rainer and his mate Pearl" Krypto replied.

"I can tell some of those names, but please do tell, how many mechs and how many femmes?" Optimus asked just to be sure.

"Six mechs and six femmes, five bonded pairs and two that are just friends" Krypto replied.

"And all sparked?" Optimus asked.

"yes" Krypto replied.

"Remember, Krypto, you can't fly fast when they are in that condition. Fly slower as too fast may harm the little ones they carry. I will see you and them when they get here. Optimus out."

The seekers were amazed at hearing that. They knew it, but hadn't expected the current Prime to know. "Forgive us, my friends, we hadn't meant to fly too fast" Wingspan stated, having overheard as well.

"You haven't been flying too fast, Krypto has made sure to keep a safe pace" Nightfall stated. The others agreed. They carefully made it to the citadel where the base was. They weren't surprised to see an underground base, as after all, their whole citadel had been built underground even though they were flyers. The fourteen seekers soon landed and headed in, having no idea the shock in which two of them were to find upon entering the base, as they had no idea Jazzmin's only surviving son lived in this base. The seekers just hoped that they would be able to live in peace in the citadel where they had been found.


	29. Chapter 29

While awaiting the arrival of the newly discovered seekers, Optimus commed Jazz and Slugbug for them to come to the office. Both came, though Jazz seemed more confused than Bug did. "Why have you called us, sir?" Jazz asked.

"Wingspan and Kryptonight are returning with newly discovered seekers that had been in suspended animation. I wanted you and Bug to come to greet the group with me since Wingspan and Krypto are leading them here" Optimus stated, having no idea that the real reason Primus had had Optimus call these two was due to the fact that they were family to some of the newly awakened seekers.

Shortly after Jazz and Bug had arrived in the office of the Prime, Krypto and Wingspan led in the dozen sparked seekers that they had led here from the distant citadel.

"Prime, these are the twelve seekers that were recently returned to normal functioning thanks to Krypto" Wingspan explained and introduced each.

"Welcome, all of you" Optimus stated, his size bigger than what the seekers had anticipated, but his kindness was evident and they knew they could trust him.

"We are the last of our citadel" Artic Cat stated, having been unofficially named leader by the others.

"We did not know you existed until just recently. IN fact, most did not realize that there were two citadels named Vos" Optimus explained.

"There was a second Vos?" Spinner asked.

"Yes, it was a citadel built high into the air. It was where seekers chose to live in isolation" Jazz explained, feeling something odd about two of the seekers that were there.

"Seekers never believed in isolation during our time. We welcomed grounders into our homes" Snow Cat stated, not liking the sound of what he had heard.

"Then things must have changed once some of your people left the citadel" Bug stated.

"Must have" Artic answered.

As the others talked, Jazz was getting a strange vibe from two of the sparked seekers – Spinner and Tuner. There was something about them. Wingspan noticed the strangeness. "Mama – Spinner and Tuner said I reminded them of someone" Wingspan started.

"Oh…who was that?" Jazz asked, having no idea.

"Wingspan here, as do you, sir, reminds us of our grandson – Jazzmin" Spinner stated.

Jazz was stunned into silence. He knew that name, oh he knew it, but he never thought anyone else did. Wingspan noticed. "Mama, who was Jazzmin?" Wingspan asked, Spinner and Tuner just as curious about this grounder that Wingspan called "mama."

Jazz looked to them before looking around to see if it was safe to share his knowledge. Thankfully, Optimus and the twins Bug and Krypto were busy talking to the others that arrived. Jazz looked back to his son and the two seekers. "Jazzmin…. Was my mother" Jazz revealed.

All three were shocked. Wingspan tried to comfort his mother as this had really shaken Jazz up. Tuner and Spinner, hoping to be accepted as well, went to hug the smaller grounder. Jazz didn't know what to say or do but allowed the three to hug him tightly, especially Wingspan. Tuner and Spinner were careful with jazz.

"Was your mother?" Spinner asked gently.

Jazz looked down. He didn't like this part, actually, he hated it. "My mother, Jazzmin…. Was never bonded…"

"Oh?" The two older seekers asked, wondering what that had to do with anything.

"He was forcibly taken by my sire, a grounder, who lied and constantly beat my mother until his death and myself until he died. I barely survived" Jazz stated, pain in his voice.

Wingspan, Tuner, and Spinner didn't understand. "Why did Jazzmin choose to stay then?" Tuner asked.

"Because he was rejected by his family. My sire told his family that Jazzmin and my sire were bonded" Jazz answered.

"But why would he be rejected whether or not he was bonded to the grounder?" Spinner asked, not understanding.

"Because, there was a law, that grounders and seekers were never to bond and if they did, they were rejected unless under very special circumstances" Jazz explained.

The two older seekers were absolutely dumbfounded by that revelation. No such law had ever existed why they were alive. "I know not where that law came from, but that was never how seekers used to be" Tuner stated. "What is your name, son?"

Jazz was just as surprised to hear from the two about what they had said. Then he heard the question. "My name is Jazz" Jazz stated.

"I am sorry you have suffered so much pain in your young life, Jazz" Spinner stated, gently hugging Jazz.

For an instant, Jazz almost felt like he was back in the arms of his loving mother. Jazz flashed a smile and snuggled in. He once again felt like he had his family back together. Wingspan joined in, happy to be part of all this. Without anything further, the four snuck out of the office. Optimus noticed but let them go.

The others were chatting and talking to Optimus and the twins. Kryptonight and Slugbug both approached Snow Cat and Artic Cat, the only two mechs bonded to each other, from the group. Snow and Artic were a bit surprised, but not overly so. "what is it that you two wish to know?" Snow asked them.

"We sense you are connected to us in some way" Krypto stated.

"I think you are of our father's line, he was a seeker and we are twins sparked to a grounder/seeker union" Bug explained.

"It is possible. We did have sparklings before we were in suspended animation. We had so many hence we were chosen as the only mech-mech bonding" Snow stated.

"Our father's name was Starflight and our mother was Hot shot" Krypto stated.

"You mother's name doesn't sound familiar, but your father's sounds somewhat familiar" Artic explained.

"Our grandfather, on our father's side, was named Spotlight, and his father was named Starreacher" Bug answered.

"Starreacher was one of our grandsons" Snow stated with a smile.

"Well, it would appear you two really do have family still around" Optimus said to his adopted sons.

The seekers looked at Optimus, trying to understand. "Optimus Prime adopted us after our parents were slaughtered by the Cons. He looked and found no other direct family for us, so he and his mate Mirage adopted us" Slugbug explained. The older seekers nodded and soon those four headed off. Optimus spoke with the others and assigned them temporary rooms for their stay at the base.


	30. Chapter 30

The twelve seekers decided to stay for a bit, as they wanted to get to know many of the bots that were now around. Wingspan and Jazz introduced Spinner and Tuner to Prowl and the rest of the family, while Slugbug and Kryptonight not only took Artic and Snow to meet their adoptive family, but also to where the twins' creators were entombed. It was a humbling experience for Artic and Snow. Mirage was introduced to both pairs, as he was the adopted son of Jazz and Mirage was the adoptive mother of Slugbug and Kryptonight.

Meanwhile, the two femme seekers who were sparked but were not yet bonded were enjoying meeting all the bots that they saw. "Wow. I never expected to meet so many nice bots" Opal stated.

"Me neither" Starglider stated. "Maybe will we get lucky and find mates for ourselves like the others have."

"Maybe, but we must have patience. Primus knows what he is doing and if we are meant to find our mates, he will lead us to them" Opal stated. Starglider nodded in agreement.

Meanwhile, Speeder was getting close to being released from the med bay and Bruiser was there every day to visit. While Speeder didn't really show it, he appreciated the visits. Since they had "cleared the air" between them, Speeder enjoyed seeing Bruiser and missed seeing him when he came late or couldn't stay as long. Bruiser, being much older than Speeder, just hoped Speeder wouldn't wait too long for them to become sparkmates.

Bruiser was entering the med bay to visit once again when he overheard "Alright, Speeder, you are free to go." It wasn't Ratchet, it was First aid, who didn't know about Speeder and Bruiser, as each time Bruiser visited, Ratchet had always been there.

Then Bruiser overheard something else. "I have to wait for someone to come get me." It was speeder's voice. Bruiser smiled at that, as he hoped to take Speeder home soon.

First Aid was about to say something else when both Speeder and Aid saw Bruiser. First Aid was a bit worried but Speeder wasn't. "I am a friend of Speeder, I have come to help him get home" Bruiser stated, hiding things for now as neither Speeder nor Bruiser wanted this to go Public yet.

"And he is who I was waiting for" Speeder stated to Aid. Only then did Aid let Bruiser get closer to Speeder. "And now he will take me home." Bruiser nodded and Aid let them be. The pair headed out of the med bay and to the quarters where Bruiser lived.

Meanwhile, Optimus was feeling off. He still hadn't told any of the Autobots that both he and his mate were expecting. Optimus figured most already knew about Mirage as Mirage had told several bots that Mirage was expecting, but no one had told anyone that Optimus was also expecting. Optimus wasn't sure what to do, as while his condition was "hidden" by his size, he just felt like something was not going right with them.

And in that feeling, Optimus commed Ratchet even though Ratchet was off duty. Ratchet, though heavily sparked himself, came to check on Optimus. "What seems to be the problem?" Ratchet asked as he scanned over the sparked Prime.

"I just feel off, like something is wrong with the little ones that I carry" Optimus replied, alarming Ratchet.

"Lay down on the berth and let me scan you more thoroughly" Ratchet commanded, and Optimus did as asked by the medic. Ratchet scanned. Optimus was right – something was off. The sparklings were not developing as well as they should have and instead of three, Optimus had four. Ratchet scanned further, and realized the fix would be somewhat easy, though not very easy. Optimus needed rest and more energon. "You are right, Prime. Something was off. You are carrying four, not three, and you are not getting enough energon. I am putting you on the off-duty list for medical reasons just like I did recently with Mirage" Ratchet stated.

Optimus nodded, but when he heard Mirage was off-duty, he was curious and worried. "Is Mirage ok, Ratchet?"

Ratchet looked at the leader. "Yes, Mirage is ok, now. He was not getting enough energon because he kept himself so busy helping others, including those newly discovered seekers you recently brought into the base." Optimus could only nod. "Prime, go home to your family. I will find another bot to take over for you for now."

Optimus wanted to resist that medical order, but Ratchet wasn't about to let him do so. And so, with a heavy sigh, Optimus headed for home, hoping Mirage was there. Mirage would be there and their sparklings would be elsewhere, which would allow for Mirage to address all Optimus' needs.

Meanwhile, the three sparked seeker pairs just enjoyed their time meeting all the bots. Many grounder bots were shocked to meet such friendly seekers. The seekers were curious as to why so many were shocked to meet them and them being friendly. The many grounders told stories of the war where seekers were known as ruthless killers and slaughtered many a bot for a nasty mech named Megatron. It was only then, one the seekers heard the stories, that they realized why so many of the grounders here were a bit hesitant to meet them. The seekers felt bad that their descendants had acted in such a manner and hoped to prove that not all seekers were as bad as those who had fought during the civil war.

Meanwhile, out in space, Starscream was slowly recruiting more bots to make another attack on the foul Autobots, though it was still not nearly enough to actually lead any attack as of yet. Starscream was impatient and the only thing that kept him from being overly impatient were his triplet brothers – Skywarp and Thundercracker. They each felt as Starscream did, but they knew they had to bide their time for now. They would remind him he needed a bigger army before he could attack and only to them would he agree. They would hunt for more soldiers before they dared try to attack the planet and the well-armed Autobots.


	31. Chapter 31

And as the size of the Autobots grew, the citadels that had once been destroyed by Megatron were slowly coming back to life. Several had already been restored and were being lived in by many peace loving mechs and femmes. Optimus was pleased that some citadels had already been restored to almost their former glory and that bots were now living in those citadels, making them a home to many.

Optimus knew the place where he and his family would reside was not yet finished, but he had done that as he had made sure other bots had homes first. Optimus, unlike other recent Primes before him, believed that those under his reign as Prime were more important than himself. He wanted them to have homes before the estate of the Prime was fixed and ready. Mirage didn't mind and the sparklings didn't know any better.

Since Optimus was now considered off-duty, he was only commed on the most emergent matters by Jazz and Prowl who had both been asked to take over for the Prime for the time being. Both were unsure at first, but when told why they had been selected and why Optimus had to be considered off-duty, both agreed to help out. Optimus and Ratchet, as well as Mirage, were relieved.

Meanwhile, the newly found seekers were trying to help out as much as they could, though it was limited since they were sparked. Mirage helped them find ways and places that they could help out without compromising the little ones they carried. All twelve appreciated it.

"Mirage, thank you for all your help" Artic said, grateful to be doing things once again.

"Yeah, really, Mirage, thank you" Snow added.

"You are welcome. I know what it is like to be sparked and bored" Mirage stated.

"You do?" Opal asked, a bit confused.

"Yes, there have been times when my mate won't let me do things because I am sparked" Mirage stated.

"He just cares for you, Mirage" Tuner added, knowing who Mirage's mate was.

"Wait, who is your mate?" Starglider asked, having missed Optimus saying it.

"My mate is Optimus, our Prime" Mirage stated.

"I can understand, then, why he would want you to be careful, as a Prime's sparklings are precious" Starglider stated.

"They are no more precious than any other sparkling, grounder, aerial bot, or seeker. All sparklings are precious" Mirage stated, stunning the twelve. They could now see why Mirage had been picked as the Prime's mate. Not only was the Prime kind and generous, his mate was too.

"There are not many who would say what you just said, Mirage" Spinner added. "Many do not think of all sparklings as precious."

"Having lived through the civil war, I think many bots have learned that all sparklings are precious, as they represent hope" Mirage stated.

"I guess that makes sense" Sunsetter added.

"Makes total sense, now that I hear it" Nightfall uttered, all the rest nodding in agreement.

"Now I do have one question to ask all of you, are you planning to stay here until you spark or do you plan to return to your citadel?" Mirage asked, knowing that wherever they went, they would most likely need Krypto, the new seeker medic, to help them.

"I know I plan on staying here" Opal stated and Starglider nodded with her.

"I think the rest of us plan in returning to our citadel so that we can start repairing our citadel once we spark" Artic stated and the others agreed with him. This made sense to Mirage, as those five pairs were bonded, Opal and Starglider were single femme seekers.

"Rest assured, no matter where you are, you can call on Kryptonight and he will come to help" Mirage stated, reliving all twelve who had been worried.

"We don't wish to head back until we have our own mates" Opal stated, pointing to herself and Starglider.

"And that is perfectly find with us" Artic stated. "May Primus bring you wonderful mates."

"Do you care if they are seekers or otherwise?" Mirage asked, not knowing that these seekers welcomed all regardless.

"We just want loving mates, regardless of type of bot" Opal stated.

"Mirage, the old rule you heard of Seekers wanting to remain pure and refusing to take grounder mates never came from us. We accepted grounders into our society without issue. It was only latter generations who grew conceited that made such a rule" Artic explained.

"I never knew that" Mirage stated, stunned at what he was learning from these seekers who had recently been discovered and revived.

"It's true, I could show you some of my memory tapes to show you how we lived side by side with grounders" Rainer stated, wanting Mirage to see the truth.

"If it is ok with you" Mirage stated. And no sooner said than done, Rainer was showing memory tapes from ancient times, when they did get along with grounders and how the tow lived side by side. The others also showed some of their memory tapes, showing that this was a common occurrence. Mirage smiled when he saw that things were really as these seekers had described. It meant that their own little seekerlings and sparklings would be accepted.

Meanwhile, Optimus was resting in their shared quarters, in the berth in their room. He hadn't felt that good. He had let Mirage go elsewhere, even though it bothered the leader. Mirage had made sure to leave whatever Optimus needed nearby before leaving. Optimus loved his mate dearly, but wished Mirage would do less and spend time with the leader now that Optimus was off-duty, but Optimus also realized Mirage needed to be allowed to do some things. And so, Optimus took a nap, resting so that when Mirage finally did come home, Optimus would be ready to spoil Mirage who helped the Prime out so many times. In fact, little Orion Pax could hardly wait to see Mirage again. Mirage would be home soon.


	32. Chapter 32

Optimus remained on the berth, hoping Mirage would come home soon. Optimus was concerned as he hadn't expected to be carrying more than three again. Heck, he hadn't expected to carry again, but here he was and with four precious sparklings growing inside him. He knew his mate was sparked as well and so there was no way out of this. Optimus sighed, as this was just too much for him, or so it felt and unknowingly, he pulsed these feelings along the bond, and Mirage read them loud and clear.

Mirage, having been with the dozen new seekers, quickly and politely excused himself. They let him go, as they knew he was needed by many, especially his mate. He thanked them for their time and soon left. He knew he needed to be home by the strange feeling he felt in their bond. Mirage carefully raced back to the quarters.

Upon entering the quarters, Mirage called out "Beloved? Are you here? Are you awake?" Mirage asked, his sweet voice music to the Prime's audios.

"I… I'm here… in our berth" Came Optimus' response to the query, still in a bit a stunned shock.

"Coming love" Mirage stated, rushing back to his mate, grateful that their brood of sparklings were busy elsewhere. Mirage saw how low Optimus seemed to feel and went to him. "Is something wrong, love? You pulsed some very concerning feelings over our bond."

Optimus purred as Mirage stroked his helm, but still heard the questions. "I had Ratchet come to see me at my office as something felt off" Optimus started out saying.

"I doubt a visit with Ratchet can cause all this hurt and confusion" Mirage replied, seeming to know there was more to the story as he continued to pulse love to his mate.

"Well, not so much seeing him, but what he told me…. I…. I carry four… not three" Optimus uttered softly, looking straight at Mirage, fearing what reaction Mirage might have.

Mirage saw the look of fear and responded with love and gentleness. "Optimus, my beloved, I know you hadn't planned on carrying anymore. I know we had expected that only I would carry. But these lives are precious, just like every sparkling is precious. I love you no matter what and we will love them" Mirage stated, pulsing love and loving stroking his mate's helm.

Optimus, though he shouldn't have been, was surprised to hear what Mirage had said. Optimus was grateful to have such a loving mate who supported him. Optimus purred softly at the gentle touches that Mirage provided as he tried to calm Optimus down. Optimus soon less anxious and more himself. "I forgot to tell you one more thing" Optimus stated.

"And what is that, my beloved?" Mirage asked.

"Right now, since I am carrying four and my systems are not as energized as they should be, I am off-duty except extreme emergencies, but even then, I will only be commed and get to decide what should be done" Optimus stated, waiting for the reaction from his mate.

"I look forward to spending more time with you and I am sure our little ones will too" Mirage stated. "Now who should I take care of first – Optimus or Orion Pax, baby?"

Hearing the playful tone and the word that usually called out little Orion Pax, Optimus smiled. "Me first!" Came out the voice sounding more like little Orion.

Mirage smiled, knowing he had encouraged this. "Let's have fun" Mirage replied sensually. Orion/Optimus was eagerly looking forward to this "fun."

Meanwhile, Jazz, taking a break from being the acting Prime, went to talk to Spinner and Tuner. Jazz had questions and he hoped they had answers. He soon found them resting in the rec room.

Spinner saw Jazz first and nudged her mate Tuner. Both turned to face Jazz. "Hi Jazz" Tuner said loudly with cheerfulness.

Jazz was surprised still by the friendly greetings, as other than Wingspan, he had always viewed seekers as dangerous as one had forcibly taken Jazz and the result was Wingspan. "Hi, I.. I had some questions" Jazz answered, cautiously.

"Well, it is only the three of us in here, ask away" Tuner stated, wanting Jazz to feel at ease and encouraging Jazz to ask questions.

"Well, it has to do with my family" Jazz stated in response.

"We can tell you what we know" Spinner stated.

"Tell me about my mother, Jazzmin" Jazz stated, wanting to know more.

"We lost track of him after he was an advanced youngling, but we can tell you about him before then" Spinner stated.

"Was that because he had met my sire?" Jazz asked, hoping he would hear that.

"No, it was because that was the time we were placed in suspended animation" Tuner stated.

"I see. I do wish to know more." Jazz stated, wanting to learn whatever he could.

"Well, let's see, Jazzmin was the youngest of a set of triplets, sparked to our oldest son, a bot named Boomer. He was a seeker and had an absolute love for music" Spinner stated.

"Well, that explains where the love of music came from" Jazz stated, his own love for music showing through to the older seekers.

"Jazzmin's two older brothers were Blue and Crimson, based on the color they were sparked with, though I never really liked those names. Jazzmin's mother picked those out. She was a nice femme seeker, but was never too creative. She had been a research scientist and so her thought process was a little more literal" Tuner added.

"Who sparked the triplets?" Jazz asked, curious.

"Boomer sparked them, as his mate refused to carry due to her work, though she did love the sparklings" Spinner stated.

"Blue and Crimson were more like their mother while Jazzmin was more like his father" Tuner stated. Jazz had figured as much with the prior statements

"Jazzmin had such wonderful musical talents that we and his father encouraged, but his mother seemed to discourage. HIs brothers didn't offer much encouragement to Jazzmin either." Spinner added.

"That isn't fair to Jazzmin" Jazz stated, knowing no bot should be treated that way.

"We think that is what drove him off as an advanced youngling just before we were placed in suspended animation" Tuner replied.

"But I do know one thing – he would have loved to raise you and see you. He grew up always wanting a family" Spinner told Jazz.

"I… I wish I had more of a chance to know him" Jazz stated.

"You will see him, someday, even if that is in the Matrix" Tuner added, hugging Jazz. Jazz hugged back, happy to finally learn more about his mother.


	33. Chapter 33

While Optimus was being taken care of by Mirage, Jazz was getting to know his family, and the cities were being rebuilt, a very sparked Ratchet found himself working in the med bay alongside Kryptonight who had only recently become a medic. Ratchet was only here because Aid needed the time off and Kryptonight was still new, though he had already shown he would be a good medic as his personality, while more jovial most of the time, was much like Ratchet's.

Ratchet didn't know it, but Krypto kept an optic on the older medic. Ratchet may have been Krypto's mentor, but Krypto wasn't going to let the heavily sparked bot do too much, per medic's orders. Ratchet wasn't very happy to hear it from Krypto, but Ratchet remained careful. Krypto had a sense that this day, Ratchet would not leave the med bay the way he came in.

Soon, Krypto was getting busy with bots coming by for little medical things. Krypto was easily able to take care of them, which meant Ratchet could sit down for a bit. But Krypto noticed something about the older medic after Krypto had seen Flasher for something minor. Ratchet hadn't realized it, but Krypto saw it instantly – oil leaking from the medic.

"Ratchet, get up on that berth this instant" Krypto stated.

"Don't you tell me what to… OUCH" Ratchet retorted, trying to tell the young medic off, until Ratchet realized he was in pain.

"Like I said, up on the berth, now" Krypto stated, not backing down and not at all stunned or moved by how Ratchet had spoken to him. Krypto had put up with the talk all while being trained so little that Ratchet said startled the young seeker medic.

Reluctantly and only because he was in pain, Ratchet did as asked. "I wasn't due yet" Ratchet uttered through gritted teeth as the pain was overwhelming.

"Well, as you once said, sparklings will come when they are ready" Krypto replied and as he prepped Ratchet for what was about to happen, Krypto also pulsed along the twinlink to have Bug comm Jack to send the inventor to the med bay. Bug got the message and passed the word along to Wheeljack, who quickly ran to the med bay. Jack had tried to convince his mate not to go to the med bay to work today, but it had fallen on deaf audios.

Ratchet was ready to push the little ones out as Jack arrived. Krypto was working exactly like a calm medic would. "Well, I told you that you shouldn't have been working today" Jack stated as he headed for his mate.

Kryptonight, having met Jack before, was not thrown off and continued to prepare for the little ones that were coming. "Well, I didn't expect them to come today" Ratchet barked back.

Jack just smiled and went to his mate to support Ratchet as the little ones came forth. The first one came out easily – it was a little pink femme with Ratchet's personality. Jack had to laugh. That one was going to be real fun when she got older. The next one was a lime green femme with a quiet personality. Jack just smiled, pleased to have two healthy sparklings. But what neither had expected was that Ratchet wasn't done. Krypto, having no clue how many Ratchet had, jut prepared for however many would emerge. And much to Jack and Ratchet's surprise, two more little ones came forth, another femme with peach tones for coloration and a mech that looked much like his father Wheeljack.

"Well done, Ratchet" Krypto stated, after having observed that all the little ones were healthy.

"I wasn't expecting so many" Ratchet stated, surprised.

"Didn't you ever have Aid check you out to make sure of how many?" Krypto asked.

"I only had him check me out once, other than that, I did my own scans" Ratchet admitted. Krypto shook his head. Even Krypto knew better than that. Krypto scanned Ratchet over to make sure that there were no other surprises. Other than being low on energon, there were no further surprises that Krypto could find. Krypto hooked up a drip and then left Ratchet and Jack alone with their new little sparklings in a private part of the med bay.

"Well, he seems like a good medic" Jack stated.

"He better be, I trained him" Ratchet retorted.

"Well, good medic or not, we have to name our new little ones. I was thinking Firecracker for the pink femme who first came forth" Jack stated, noting the fiery personality.

Ratchet sighed but agreed. "And maybe Serenity for the little green femme" Ratchet suggested seeing how quiet the little femme was.

"Ok, that's two names. What about the other two?" Jack asked, trying to think of good names.

Ratchet studied the little femme and the little mech they had left to name. "Peachfuzz for the femme, maybe?" Ratchet suggested.

Jack didn't care for it. "No, I think she would get harassed with a name like that. How about Pearl?" Jack queried.

Ratchet thought about it. He liked that better. "I like that. And now for the little mechling" Ratchet commented.

"Maybe Insight? He seems to be more like me" Jack stated, hoping Ratchet would agree.

"I guess that will work" Ratchet stated, feeling better now that the energon drip was giving him much needed energon and that he was done sparking.

"Welcome to the world Firecracker, Serenity, Pearl, and Insight. Soon you will get to meet your older siblings" Jack stated, earning a soft coo from all the little ones. Ratchet just smiled. While this wasn't how he had hoped the sparklings would come, he was glad it happened the way it did and he was glad Krypto was in the med bay instead of Ratchet working alone. Everything had worked out well this day and so, still tired, Ratchet dozed off while Jack studied the little ones. Krypto secretly took one more look at the little family and smiled. All were happy and healthy and that was good enough for Krypto.


	34. Chapter 34

While Ratchet and Jack were in the med bay with their new little ones, Speeder made his way to where Bruiser was. Granted, Speeder had said he wasn't ready yet, but something still caused Speeder to seek Bruiser out. Bruiser was relaxing in the rec room when Speeder found him. Speeder felt his spark just go crazy at the sight of the other. Sensing things could go further, Speeder tried to make sure he looked his best as he stepped into the rec room.

Bruiser, who was resting on the couch, felt a skipping in his spark and looked up. He caught Speeder walking into the rec room. Bruiser smiled, hoping that Speeder would soon be ready as Bruiser wanted to bond to the bot so badly, but Bruiser wasn't about to force Speeder to do anything. Bruiser just watched as Speeder sauntered over. Bruiser tried not to groan as that just made him want the bot all the more, for a mate and to interface with.

Speeder soon arrived at the couch and noticed an empty spot. "Any bot sitting here?" Speeder asked.

"You" replied Bruiser with a soft smile.

Speeder looked at a bot and then heard what Bruiser said. Speeder blushed and smiled as he sat down next to Bruiser. Being this closer just made Speeder's spark go even more crazy. "Thanks" Speeder managed to say.

"Welcome" Bruiser stated, his own spark and systems going nuts being so close to the bot he felt Primus had created for Bruiser to be with forever. Bruiser held back, wanting to kiss Speeder but didn't want to push Speeder away.

Speeder scooted closer to Bruiser. He felt like this was right at this time. Speeder snuggled up to Bruiser and then kissed the much older bot. Both felt a powerful connection as they kissed, as if they were meant to be together. Speeder looked to the older bot. "Make me yours?" Speeder said, innocent look in his optics.

Bruiser smiled. "Oh, I can make you mine, but not here. Let's go to my quarters, they aren't far" Bruiser stated, and both quickly left the rec room. They ran past several other bots on the way, but no one stopped the two. Most of the bots they passed in the hallways were already bonded and recognized what was going on.

Once inside Bruiser's room, the two finally decided to make their bond official. And as they bonded to become sparkmates, Speeder became sparked, though neither realized it for now. They were just happy to have finally bonded to each other.

Meanwhile, Optimus was still trying to figure out how to tell his parents that he once again was sparked. All had assumed that only Mirage would be sparked from now on. Optimus sighed, this time was so much harder than before. Mirage, sensing Optimus needed support, commed for Orion to come over and talk with Optimus.

"Mirage to Orion, come in Orion" Mirage commed, out of audio shot of his mate.

"Orion here, what is wrong, Mirage?" Orion asked, concerned as Mirage rarely commed Orion out of the blue.

"Optimus is struggling" Mirage started with.

"What is my son struggling with?" Orion asked, making sure he was alone as he took the comm, figuring this might have to do something with Orion Pax.

"Well, we hadn't told anyone yet, but he and I are both sparked with our own sparklings. He though he carried only three but he is carrying four and it is taking much out of him" Mirage explained.

Orion was a bit shocked, but his answer didn't show it. "I thought only you were going to be sparked from now on?" Orion asked, curious.

"I thought so as well, but it seems Primus is really trying to repopulate the world with his children" Mirage responded. "Could you please come see him?"

"Okay, I will come" Orion stated, feeling that his eldest son needed him. "Where is he at? Not at his office I hope."

"No, he is at home. For the time being, Ratchet has Optimus on medical leave" Mirage explained.

"Good to hear someone put him on leave. I will be over shortly" Orion stated, ending the comm.

In Orion's quarters, Hide was a bit confused. "Where are you going, love?" Hide asked.

"I am going to see Optimus. Seems my eldest son needs me" Orion explained to his mate.

"I've got the little ones here. You go and don't worry" Hide said with a smile. Orion appreciated it, kissed his mate and then headed out.

It took Orion very little time to reach his son's quarters. And Mirage quickly and warmly welcomed Orion inside. "I am sorry to bother you, Orion, but I hate seeing my mate suffer" Mirage said.

"I love my son very much. I am not bothered. If he is suffering and I can help, I want to help" Orion stated, meaning exactly what he said. Mirage nodded and led Orion to Optimus, who was laying on the berth and just looked overwhelmed. "Give us some time, Mirage" Orion said softly. Mirage nodded and headed out of the room while Orion headed towards his son.

Optimus onlined his optics. "mama?" He carefully asked, seeing the bot who entered the room but didn't look like Mirage.

"Yes, my son. It is mama. Mirage commed me and told me you needed my help" Orion answered, speaking softly and gently rubbing his son's helm.

"I…. I suppose Mirage told you?" Optimus asked.

"About the sparklings you carry?" Orion asked. Optimus nodded. "Yes, your mate did, but only because he wanted to explain why you needed me to come and see you." Optimus felt better when he heard that and snuggled into his mama. Orion just held his son as best he could, considering his son dwarfed him. Optimus finally fell into a peaceful recharge. Orion stayed for the next several hours so that Optimus could get rest. Mirage checked in every now and again to make sure everything was ok. Orion would just smile, happy to help both Mirage and Optimus during this time of need.


	35. Chapter 35

Mirage carefully approached Orion and Optimus after Optimus woke after a long nap. Mirage wanted to be sure his mate and Orion were okay. Orion smiled as Mirage entered the room. Optimus' mother was happy to see both Mirage and Optimus feeling better. "Thank you for your help, mom" Mirage stated, relieved to see Optimus not feel so down.

"I am glad to help, but you two need to tell family about Optimus being sparked so that we can help you out" Orion suggested.

"I was planning to soon, but hadn't had a chance yet" Mirage stated, surprising Optimus. "Beloved, they need to know."

Optimus nodded. He knew it had been foolish to keep it a secret from family, but he had wanted more time to adjust. "You are right, love. They need to know."

Mirage and Orion were relieved to hear that Optimus agreed to at least let family know. "I will inform my mate" Orion said.

"And we will tell Prowl and Jazz as well as Illusion and Wingspan" Mirage stated. Orion nodded and left.

"Need some help getting up?" Mirage asked his mate, knowing he probably shouldn't help but wanted to nonetheless.

"No, I think if I go slow, I will make it" Optimus replied, and slowly, he was able to get himself up. "Besides, Ratchet would not be happy if you helped me get up out of bed especially since you are sparked yourself."

Mirage sighed. "You are probably right, but you are my mate, and it is my job to try and help as much as I can."

Optimus smiled and they headed out of the room. They would take in some energon before they went to round up their young ones.

Meanwhile, the five bonded pairs of seekers that had recently been discovered were being checked on in the med bay by Krypto. They wanted to make sure that they were okay to return to their citadel before sparking the little ones that they carried. Krytpo carefully scanned over each of the ten seekers, not only because they were sparked, but he also wanted to make sure everything else was in order in their systems.

All ten of the seekers appreciated the thorough medical checkup by the seeker medic. Krypto found that most of the seekers were fine and that their sparklings were on track. Their were just two seekers he was concerned about – Tuner and Artic Cat, as their sparklings were showing some strange signs to the seeker medic.

"Tuner, Artic. I am sorry, but there is no way I can let you return yet, as your sparklings are giving off strange readings" Krypto stated.

"Well, if Artic can't go back, I won't go either" Snow stated, wanting to stay with his mate until this was cleared up.

"And I won't go either" Spinner stated, as her mate was being held back as well.

"Artic, is it ok with you if the rest of us go and prepare the citadel?" Stunray asked.

"Yes, you can go and if you have any questions or concerns you can comm myself, Kryptonight, or Optimus" Artic stated, knowing he was seen as the leader.

"Then we will head out and make preparations" Stingray stated, and so the six seekers from the three non-effected pairs headed back to the underground citadel of Vos.

After the six left, Artic and Tuner had questions. "What are the strange readings that you get?" Artic asked.

"Yes, what is wrong?" Tuner asked.

"I want my twin brother to check on you two, as I sense you carry one or more sparklings that may be like my twin" Kryptonight stated in all honesty.

"What do you mean? Your twin is a grounder" Spinner stated, not understanding.

"My twin is a portal for Primus. I want him to see you to see if any of your sparklings carry a spark like his which may explain the strange readings I got" Krypto explained.

All four seekers were a bit stunned, as they had never thought of that. And so they waited for Slugbug to arrive. And arrive he soon did.

"You wanted me to check on someone, brother?" Bug asked, appearing much smaller than most bots, with mostly white coloration, though a slight bit of yellow accents.

"Please, my twin. I received some strange readings on their sparklings and I want to see if you detect what it might be" Krypto explained.

"very well" Bug stated and he went over to the two seekers in question. HE placed his small hands on their abdomens and then scanned. He silently prayed to Primus as he scanned them, asking Primus to reveal the truth. And Primus answered the prayers – the seekers did indeed have sparklings in them that would be like Slugbug. In fact, both seekers had all three of their carried sparklings with the spark that would be a portal for Primus. "Yes, these are indeed special sparklings with special sparks."

"How many of the special sparks do they each carry, Bug?" Krypto asked.

"All of the sparklings these two carry possess the spark to be a portal for Primus" Bug revealed.

The four seekers were stunned once again, as they had never heard of such a thing. Portals for Primus were rare. "We carry special sparklings?" Artic asked.

"Yes. When you spark, both Kryptonight and I will be there. In fact, you will know you are about to spark, as we will both suddenly arrive" Bug stated. The seekers nodded.

"Can they fly home, as they wish to return home" Krypto asked his twin.

"They may return home. I see no need for them to remain if they desire to head back to the underground citadel of Vos" Bug stated, much to the relief of the four. "But I must caution you two that you must fly very slowly so that you will not hurt the little ones you carry."

"We can do that" Artic stated, happy to be able to head back home.

"Then go, and may Primus bless you" Bug stated before vanishing.

Krypto smiled. "It sounds like you are free to go, just be careful."

"We will and thank you" Artic stated and the four soon headed out.


	36. Chapter 36

Meanwhile, as the other seekers flew back to the underground citadel of Vos, Starglider and her friend Opal were enjoying their time in the base where they hoped to find a mate. "I hope we find someone soon, as I wish to return to our home" Starglider mentioned.

"Patience, Glider" Opal replied. "You won't attract anyone with that attitude."

Glider sighed, her friend was right and glider knew it. "So are you hoping for an aerial bot or a grounder?" glider asked.

"I don't care. Whoever Primus has picked for me is good enough" Opal stated. She wasn't picky, she just wanted someone who would love her and the sparklings she carried.

"Well, I hope I get a flying bot" Glider stated.

"Why is that?" Opal asked, a bit concerned at her friend's sudden change.

"I don't know if a grounder would be willing to accept the sparklings I carry" Starglider mentioned in all seriousness.

"And what if an aerial bot won't accept them?" Opal asked.

"Then I don't know" Glider asked.

"Well, what if Primus brings a grounder bot to you who will accept the little ones? Would you accept that?" Opal asked, wondering if it was the acceptance of the sparklings or the perceived bias of grounders versus flyers that was causing this in Starglider.

Glider thought for a moment before saying, "then that would be fine. I just want to make sure whoever comes along is willing to accept that I have these sparklings already growing inside me and that they won't make me give them up."

Opal was relieved. She had feared her friend had suddenly grown a distaste for grounders. That wasn't the case at all. Like Opal, Starglider was worried that she wouldn't find a bot who could love both her and accept the sparklings. "I am sure Primus will bring us the right bots in time. Until then, we can start by meeting more mechs and femmes from around this base. Maybe our mates lie amongst them."

"Agreed" Starglider stated and they both headed out to meet more bots.

Meanwhile, back at the underground citadel of Vos, the exploratory team had started making progress on what needed to be fixed, even though the citadel seemed in good condition. "I think they will appreciate that we have tried to find what needs fixing" Sheetrock stated, hoping the seekers would return soon.

"I hope so as well, but seekers are a hard bot to predict how they will react" armor added.

"Let's just do our best and hope they will be happy" Burst stated, accidentally bumping into something.

"watch out" Crash called out. The item that Burst had bumped into fell to the floor, causing the outer layer to split in two and break apart. "Now you did it."

"Wow" Armor stated as the shiny object gleamed in the light. "what is that?"

"I don't know, but I plan to ask the seekers when they return" Burst stated.

"I think I would take it to the temple of Primus" Sheetrock stated, fearing it might be something that would harm bots if not in the right place.

"I agree" Armor stated.

"But is it safe to touch?" Crash asked. "What if that was part of the thing that put those seekers into suspended animation?"

The others looked to the young bot, surprised he had something so important sounding, as usually Crash was one to whine and not contribute. "What?" Armor asked, not believing her audios.

"Well, I was just thinking. If those bots were put in suspended animation just before this place was abandoned, it would stand to reason that those seekers who did the suspending most likely left in such a hurry that they forgot to clean up" Crash stated, wanting to at least keep Armor safe.

"I hate to say it, but he really does have a point. Maybe we should wait until they return to move this object" Armor stated, not realizing that she had just made Crash feel like he was walking on Cloud nine.

"I agree, for now, let's leave it" Sheetrock stated and the others agreed and then moved on. They hoped the seekers would soon return and provide answers.

Unaware that the exploratory group was still in their home, the first wave of seekers, the three bonded groups that headed home first, soon arrived. They carefully flew down into the citadel. Thankfully, it was just the way they left it with one minor exception. They could hear something that sounded like part of the machine that had placed them in suspended animation. "You get the feeling something is off?" Stingray asked.

"Yeah, and now that I listen closer, I hear a familiar sound, as if from that one machine, and I hear voices" Nightfall stated.

"You think those grounders are still here?" Sunsetter asked.

"It is possible and likely" Stunray answered.

"Come, let's find them before they get into trouble" Pearl added.

"Agreed, let's go forth" Rainer said. And so the six seekers who had returned set out to find the grounders who were still in the citadel. They quickly located them.

"What have you done?" Nightfall asked, mentioning the sound, unaware that the grounders didn't hear it as their audios weren't set for such a tone.

"What do you mean?" Burst asked, totally caught off guard.

"That sound" Pearl added.

"What sound?" Armor asked, puzzled.

"Wait…. You don't hear that high-pitched tone?" Rainer asked.

"No. is there one?" Sheetrock asked.

"We can hear it. Tell us, has anything strange occurred while we were gone?" Stingray asked.

"Well, Burst accidentally knocked an object over and it's covering was cracked and fell apart" Crash explained.

"Show us this object" Stunray demanded.

"Right this way" Burst stated, leading the whole group to the area. "This is it. That orb accidentally fell and cracked its outer coating when it fell. We wanted to move it, as we thought it was something important but then we reconsidered as it might have been part of the machine that put you guys in suspended animation and so we left it, as we wanted to ask you about it before we did anything with it."

The seekers looked at the object and recognized it instantly. "It is good that you did not move it. If you have touched it with your bare hands, you would have ended up in suspended animation" Nightfall stated.

"But then how do we get it out of here?" Crash asked.

"In one of these buildings there are special gloves that will allow us to move in and put it in a safe place" Pearl stated.

"Then let's get looking" Burst stated and all agreed and started to look in the citadel for the special gloves so that the orb could safely be placed away so it would do no harm.


	37. Chapter 37

As the group searched the underground citadel of Vos, strangely enough, it was Crash who found the special gloves, tucked away in an abandoned building nowhere near the temple of primus or the building that had housed the suspended animation device. Crash had been paired with Armor to look, much to Armor's chagrin. "I think I found them" Crash stated.

"Are you serious?" Armor asked, as she didn't believe Crash.

"See, these look special, don't they?" Crash asked, showing the strange gloves he had found.

Armor sighed. Go figure, it would have to be Crash that found them. "Where did you find them?" Armor asked.

"Come, I'll show you" Crash stated, and reluctantly, Armor followed, only her curiosity driving her to see the place. "Here it is."

Armor looked around the strange looking place. It looked like Wheeljack's laboratory where everything had been blown up or had self-destructed. Armor tried to make sense of this, but could only guess that the seekers must have had a scientist much like Wheeljack for this mess to be here. "I guess I can see why this area was enclosed" Armor stated.

"Why is that?" Crash asked.

"Because the sight of this would have put a blemish on the whole pristine look of the Citadel. And it would make sense that a special set of gloves would be located in such a lab setting" armor replied.

"Cool. Now let's find the others" Crash replied.

Armor was relieved, and she had feared Crash would try to kiss her or worse while they had been assigned alone together to look for these gloves. "Let's go, kid" Armor stated.

"Hey, I am no youngling, thank you very much. I am a young adult" Crash stated emphatically.

"Then start acting like one" Armor stated, pushing him towards the door, as she sensed danger.

"Why are you pushing me?" Crash asked suddenly.

"Because you aren't moving fast enough" Armor stated, alarm in her voice. Crash realized that Armor wasn't pushing him to push him, she sensed some kind of danger and he began to move faster. She quickly followed. And it was just after they left the area, the room imploded from a device that had not yet self-destructed. Both Armor and Crash were relieved to be safe.

The others in the area stopped their searching when they heard the blast, as they feared bots were either hurt or killed. The others raced back to the area, only to find Armor and Crash safe and the special gloves in hand. "Are you two ok?" Nightfall asked.

"Never better" Crash stated in his usual brashness.

"We are safe, Nightfall, thank you for your concern. We had found an old scientist's laboratory and explored it, as that was where Crash said he found these gloves you see. They look not like your usual gloves. Could these be what you have been searching for to take care of that orb?" Armor asked.

Nightfall examined the gloves, but wasn't sure. He gave them to his mate, Sunsetter. "Do you think these are it?" Nightfall asked.

"How should I know, Stingray was the scientist of the bunch" Sunsetter retorted before handing the gloves off to Stingray.

Stingray looked at the gloves, wanting to thoroughly examine them. "These are it" she stated.

"Great, now can we get rid of that thing" Crash stated.

"Patience, young one. This must be done safely" Stunray stated, trying to calm down the excitable young mech.

"He's right, you know, Crash" Burst stated, "this task has to be done carefully or we could put this whole place, including ourselves, in suspended animation." Crash shut up at that, as he didn't want to be in suspended animation. Armor was just glad Crash shut up.

Stingray carefully placed the gloves on her hands. "Since I helped invent it, I will move it" she revealed.

The seekers weren't shocked, but the grounders were. "You invented that thing?" Burst asked.

"With the help from other scientists, yes. I was part of the group that worked on it and tested it. They saved me as they knew if we returned from suspended animation, they would need someone who knew how to work it to take care of it" Stingray revealed.

They carefully made their way back to the area where the orb was. It's dazzling, beautiful light belied just how dangerous it was. Stingray carefully put on the special gloves and them grabbed the orb in a strange manner, as if she knew where the least dangerous parts were to hold it. She then flew up in her robot form and flew away for a bit, transferring the orb to a secret, safe location that she didn't want any of the others to know about, as this safe area contained various dangerous results of experiments go wrong. She placed the orb in the area and then locked it up again before returning to the others.

"It is done" she stated.

"What is done?" Crash asked.

"The orb is in a safe place where no one will find it" Stingray replied.

"Good" Burst stated, "the last thing we need is a few rogue bots being able to find that and then using it on others."

"Rogue bots? I thought you said the war was over. Was I wrong?" Nightfall asked.

"No, you are not wrong. The war is over, however, not all the Decepticons, as they called themselves, were captured or destroyed. Some remain on the loose, the most dangerous among them are the Con seekers Starscream, Thundercracker, and Skywarp" Burst stated.

"I recognize those names" Stingray stated.

"You do?" Sheetrock asked.

"Yes, they were the youngest set of sparklings sparked to our eldest grandson, Shark. They were stolen in sparklinghood" Stunray stated, shocking all who heard.

"You are related to them?" Burst asked.

"Yes, we are" Stingray stated, saddened to hear what happened to her precious great-grandsparklings. "They were Shark's last gift, as he died sparking them." The others remained silent, unsure what to say. Things had just gotten stranger for all.


	38. Chapter 38

Meanwhile, as the others were starting to clean up around the original citadel of Vos, Tuner, Spinner, Artic Cat and Snow Cat were all flying slowly and heading back to the citadel. "What do you think this all means?" Spinner asked.

"I think one thing it means is that we must make sure the temple of Primus that was constructed millennia ago is fully functional as not only a place of worship but also a place where, if our sparklings so choose, they may live full time once they are grown" Artic stated.

"I agree" Tuner stated.

"I just hope the others who flew ahead are starting the clean up safely" Snow cat stated, "as when our brethren left, they kind of left a mess of the place."

Artic chuckled a bit. "Shows a bit of perspective, the grounder exploratory team we met thought it was in pristine condition, but we who lived there long ago know it has fallen into a state of disrepair."

"Be careful, Artic" Snow said, "you have to realize they have seen much worse devastation than we have. They saw that Megatron guy blow up and destroy almost every Citadel on the surface of Cybertron, so to them our only recently discovered ancient home is Pristine."

Artic had forgotten about that. "You are right snow, I didn't think of it that way. In that sense, it does look pristine" Artic admitted.

"Like you said, Artic, it is all about perspective" Spinner added.

"Well, hopefully, we can return it to the real pristine version" Artic stated encouraging the others as they flew.

"Just like the other Autobots are restoring the other citadels" Tuner added.

"Exactly" Artic answered and they flew on towards home.

Meanwhile, back at the underground base, Optimus was getting report from jazz on how the citadels were coming along and what had been down so far. Optimus still wasn't allowed to do much more than get reports and make the biggest decisions, but he appreciated the fact that Jazz and Prowl both sought to inform the real Prime of all progress or lack of progress made. Optimus was pleased when he heard the progress reports, but the few negative, lack of progress reports made him a bit miffed.

"what seems to be the problem with that site?" Optimus asked, after hearing a particularly negative report about lack of progress.

"The workers are rebelling against their supervisors, who refuse to pitch in and help, according to those who do most of the work" Jazz replied.

"I expect my supervisors to be willing to help out when needed" Optimus explained, though Jazz already knew that.

"Yes, I know you expect that, Optimus, but these bots don't seem to be pulling their weight" Jazz replied.

"As much as I would like to go check out the site, I am medically unable to do so right now" Optimus stated.

"I have advice, Optimus" Jazz stated.

"What advice would that be?" Optimus asked, curious.

"Send Ironhide and Prowl. If those two can't straighten this up, then we would have to wait until you are cleared to do so" Jazz stated.

"Or I would have to get a medical exception" Optimus reminded Jazz.

"Yes, that it possible, but I only see that as a last option" Jazz stated.

"Then send the two bots you recommended to straighten out this mess" Optimus stated.

"Yes, Prime, will do" Jazz stated, happy that Optimus gave him the freedom to make this choice and suggestion. Jazz headed off to inform Prowl and Ironhide of what he needed them to do.

Once Jazz was gone, Optimus sighed heavily. Mirage heard it. "I know you wish you could do more, but right now you can't" Mirage stated.

Optimus looked to his mate. "It's not just that. I am disappointed that the bots that were chosen to be supervisors at that site are not the bots that they portrayed themselves to be. If I had known they would be like this, I never would have made them supervisors" Optimus replied.

"Optimus, you aren't perfect and nobody expects perfection from you. There is no way you could've known unless Primus decided to reveal things to you, and he didn't do that in this case. You were making what you believed was the best choice. This isn't a reflection on you, but on them" Mirage explained.

"But I fear those who are rebelling will see this as my fault" Optimus stated.

"Not when they see that you have sent bots to fix the issue" Mirage answered.

"I hope you are right, love" Optimus stated.

"Trust Jazz, he will handle this. Now you need to rest so you don't stress out those little ones you are carrying" Mirage mentioned. Optimus nodded, but it was difficult to get his processor to stop thinking about those at that site. He wanted to help so bad but he couldn't. He had to trust Jazz, Prowl, and Ironhide. And with reluctance and a lot of help from Mirage, Optimus finally fell into a restless recharge.

Once Optimus was out, Mirage commed jazz. "Mirage to Jazz"

"Jazz here, what did you need Mirage?" Jazz asked, knowing Mirage was sparked.

"Permission to go with Ironhide and Prowl" Mirage stated.

"What?! No, you are sparked" Jazz stated.

"Jazz, I need to go with so my mate will be at peace with this. I could use my illusions to keep myself safe and use my illusions to make Prowl and Ironhide appear to look like Optimus" Mirage explained, showing why he felt he needed to go. "Besides, this isn't a battle, just a construction site."

Jazz was reluctant to allow Mirage to go, but Mirage eventually convinced Jazz to let Mirage go as well. Mirage made sure Optimus was safe and had energon nearby as well as made sure Keeper and Flasher were home for a bit to watch Optimus and then Mirage took off with Prowl and Ironhide, who both were not happy to have Mirage there due to Mirage being sparked but they allowed it when he explained why he was coming. And so the trio headed out, hoping to fix this issue at this troubled construction site.


	39. Chapter 39

Mirage headed to the site, under the cover of his illusionary powers. Ironhide and Prowl drove on either side of Mirage as neither wanted to see Mirage hurt, especially since Mirage was sparked. They knew Optimus would not be pleased to learn that Mirage had come with them and even more so if Mirage got hurt. The three soon arrived just a short distance outside the troubled site.

They could hear the yelling and such. It sounded awful. "Now I see why we were sent out here" Prowl whispered.

"Yeah, this has to stop" Hide stated.

"And I can make you two look like Optimus is visiting by using my illusionary powers so that to them, you appear to be the Prime making a visit. And I can do it from here, I don't need to be any closer" Mirage stated.

Only now did the two realize that Mirage hadn't planned to actually try to break up the fight physically but use what he had to show that the Prime was there even if he couldn't be. "Well, I don't think we both need to be hidden" Prowl stated.

"Yeah, maybe only one of us should look like Prime" Hide stated.

"Well, if that's the case, I pick hide" Mirage stated.

Prowl stared at Mirage. "Why him?" Prowl asked, even though he should have known better.

"Because Hide has a better chance of pulling off Optimus. You are too distinct" Mirage stated. Prowl groaned but agreed.

"Okay, change me" Hide stated, and with a special illusion, hide seemed to vanish and Optimus seemed to appear in his place.

"I just hope this works" Prowl said.

"I think it will. Now go take care of what is going on" Mirage demanded, staying behind at the safe spot.

"On our way" Hide stated, though it sounded like Optimus.

The two, Prowl and the Optimus look alike, headed in for the site. It was a mess and things were not going well. They could hear the yelling and infighting. Prowl still hoped that they could pull this off. Hide had confidence that they could. And once in the middle of the site, both transformed.

At first, none of the bots noticed the two, but when one bot shouted "Prime's here!" all fighting ceased.

"I demand to know what is going on here" Hide said, his voice still sounding like Optimus' voice thanks to Mirage.

"Prime, this is a slight misunderstanding" said one of the supervisors, trying to weasel his way out of getting punished. Hide, just like Optimus, knew the difference. This supervisor wasn't really sorry, just sorry he had been caught.

"No it isn't. He just like the other supervisors refuse to help and often put more work on us. We don't get breaks or the recharge we need and deserve because they refuse to help" one of the worker bots stated.

'Optimus' looked at the supervisor. "Is this true? Do you deny them what they need?"

The supervisor grew squirmy. He hadn't expected the Prime to show up. He had hoped this would get ignored. "Well…. No….. um…." The supervisor tried to say, but every action showed the supervisor was guilty.

Prowl was not happy with the bot. "What should we do with him, Prime?" Prowl asked, in a convincing manner that all thought it really was the Prime visiting.

"That is a good question" Optimus answered. He thought about it, as Hide had to think what Optimus would really do in this situation. And then it came to him. "I think he needs to be demoted and placed at this site as a grunt worker and I will reassign all current supervisors as such. Then I will look for new bots to supervise this site."

The supervisor was stunned. He hadn't wanted that. He hated to work. He had asked to be a supervisor as he thought it was a "cushy" job and that he wouldn't have to work. Now that he and his fellow supervisors were being demoted, he couldn't handle it and he went off in a rage. "YOU CAN"T DO THAT!" the supervisor yelled at the top of his vocal processor.

Optimus was unfazed by the reaction, as was Prowl. Hide knew this type of reaction would not have fazed the real Optimus. "well, if that is your attitude, then I am going to make your punishment even stronger" Optimus stated.

"How are you going to do that, sir?" Prowl asked.

"I am going to send him as a grunt worker to the newer Citadel of Vos, where the aerial bots run things" Optimus stated.

"Excellent choice, Prime" Prowl stated. He hated addressing any bot but the real Prime as Prime, but he had to convince the others that Prime really was visiting to show that Optimus did care.

'Optimus' took care of each supervisor that had been not taking their role seriously and replaced them with good bots who would take the role seriously and all that it entailed. 'Optimus' even had Prowl transport the worst supervisor who had yelled out over to the newer citadel of Vos while 'Optimus' returned to where Mirage was safely monitoring things.

"How did it go?" Mirage asked, scanning around to make sure no other bots saw them before removing the illusion.

"Better than expected" Hide stated and informed Mirage of all that happened. "And the best news is that the good bots in that city believe that the Prime still cares for them."

"Thank you for your help" Mirage stated, glad he had come with.

"thank you for yours, as without the illusion you provided, I doubt things would have gone as well" Hide stated.

"I always love to help out. Now let's return to base and fill others in on this progress" Mirage stated and the two bots headed for home. Primus made sure that none of the bots from the site saw that it was Mirage and Hide, but if they looked, it appeared to be Mirage and Optimus. Mirage knew that while Optimus would be upset that Mirage had gone, Optimus would be happy with how things had been addressed.


	40. Chapter 40

Upon returning to the base, Hide and Mirage went to inform Optimus what had happened, not realizing that Optimus was searching the entire base, looking for Mirage. A random bot walked by and spotted the pair. "Hey are one of you two Mirage?" the mech asked.

"I am. Is something wrong?" Mirage asked, sensing something was wrong.

"Oh, Primus. I have to call the Prime. He has been searching the entire base looking for a bot named Mirage. I just assumed the bot was in trouble for doing something to the Prime considering how upset the Prime seemed" the bot stated, having no knowledge that Mirage and the Prime were mates.

Hide looked to Mirage and then back to the random mech. "Do you know where the Prime was last seen?" Hide asked.

"He was being held by Ratchet in the med bay for some reason" the random mech stated.

Mirage groaned. This was not what he had hoped for upon his return. "Hide and I will head for the med bay" Mirage stated. The random bot nodded and left, forgetting to comm the Prime about seeing Mirage.

"Told you that you should not have come with us" Hide stated.

"Do you really think the bots that got punished would have listened to anyone but the Prime?" Mirage retorted, a bit peeved about this whole thing.

"Doesn't matter, mates don't do these things to their mates" Hide responded.

"Oh, and I suppose you are a perfect mate that doesn't screw up ever" Mirage snapped back, tired of all of this.

"Don't start with me" Hide stated, "I can take ya."

"And if you take me, you harm the sparklings I carry" Mirage answered sharply.

"whoa…. WHAT?" Hide asked, one of the few unaware that Mirage was sparked, as most knew but Orion hadn't shared it yet with Hide.

"Yes, I am sparked…. And so is Optimus. We both carry our own sparklings" Mirage explained through gritted teeth, as he was not happy about being harassed by Hide. The revelation finally shut Hide up as they headed for the med bay.

Inside the med bay, Ratchet was doing everything he could to keep the sparked Prime safe, but it was starting to get more difficult. Optimus' frame was stronger than most and Ratchet was getting to the point where he might have to sedate the Prime if Mirage was not located soon.

Just as Ratchet thought that, Mirage and Hide walked into the med bay. "Wonder who's in?" Hide stated, having not listened that the random mech had said that Ratchet was in the med bay. Suddenly and without any warning, a flying wrench hit Mirage in the left shoulder and another flying wrench hit Hide square between the optics.

"Does that answer your question, hide?" Mirage stated, rubbing his left shoulder.

"And where in the hell have you two been?" ratchet asked.

"We were out taking care of an issue at a construction site" Mirage stated.

"And who let you go, mr I'm-sparked-but-I-refuse-to-listen" Ratchet asked, upset at the whole thing.

"I convinced Jazz, Prowl and Ironhide to let me go. I thought if I could be there but not in the middle of it, I could help" Mirage stated.

"How could you help like that?" Ratchet asked, seeming to have forgotten about Mirage's talents.

"I would use an illusion to transform Hide or Prowl into looking like Optimus" Mirage responded, Hide was already starting to laugh at this.

"And tell me, who did you make look like the Prime" Ratchet asked.

"Old Ironhide" Mirage stated, emphasis on old just to poke at Hide and Ratchet.

Ratchet was trying not to laugh. He wanted to see this. Mirage, following medics orders, used an Illusion and before both of them stood the Prime, not hide. Ratchet was impressed, but before he could say anything, a loud crash was heard. The real Prime, upset at not being able to find his mate, had broken free and was throwing things around the med bay. Mirage stopped the illusion and went in search of his mate.

Mirage found Optimus in a private med bay room, throwing various items and looking like he was having a huge mood swing. Mirage knew he had to be careful, as Optimus was much stronger and much bigger than Mirage was. And so, with a deep breath, mirage carefully entered the room.

"Beloved?" Mirage asked softly, hoping Optimus would hear it, but before Optimus did, Mirage was hit in the helm with a piece of metal that Optimus had flung in anger and it knocked the Illusionist out cold. Fortunately for Mirage, Ratchet wasn't far behind and saw Mirage go down.

"Optimus, you big Lugnut, stop!" Ratchet yelled.

"I won't stop until my mate is found!" Optimus retorted, having not seen Mirage.

"Your temper tantrum just knocked him out cold" Ratchet called back.

Optimus spun around and looked. There, out cold on the floor was Mirage, dent in his helm with a small amount of energon leaking out. "Mirage?" Optimus asked, suddenly shaky at the sight.

"He's in stasis lock, thanks to the blow on the head" Ratchet stated, going to work on Mirage. Optimus felt awful. Optimus pulsed love, knowing it was all he could do at this point. Mirage, though out of it, pulsed love back. Mirage's spark wanted Optimus to know that even though this had happened, Mirage still loved his mate.

Hide, seeing that Optimus was now upset in a different manner, went to comfort the Prime. Optimus was a bit shaken up. Hide just held the bot close. "I….I… I can't believe I caused that" Optimus stated, as he talked to Hide.

"Emotions can run high when one is sparked" Hide stated. Optimus shot a look at Hide. "Mirage told me as we headed here. It explained a lot of why you reacted as you did" Hide stated.

"I can't believe I hurt him like that" Optimus uttered, feel guilt and shame for what he had done.

"No bot is perfect, Optimus, you included" Hide replied. Optimus snuggled in, hoping that Ratchet would be able to fix the damage to Mirage that Optimus had unintentionally caused. Only time would tell.


	41. Chapter 41

Ratchet carefully got Mirage onto a med bay berth. Thankfully, the damage that Optimus had caused was minor and it was more of a shock response that knocked Mirage out instead of an injury. Ratchet scanned Mirage over and was relieved to find no more issues or concerns. Carefully, Ratchet helped Mirage rouse from temporary stasis lock. Mirage groaned as he roused.

"You'll be ok, Mirage. Your scans look good. Just don't try to get up too fast" ratchet stated to Mirage before calling Ironhide and Optimus into the area.

Ironhide was assisting the Prime, though Ratchet knew this whole thing had bothered Optimus. "He gonna be ok?" Hide asked, as he didn't think Optimus was ready to ask.

"He will be fine. The hit caused no damage, just a shock to the processor, which knocked Mirage out. Mirage is coming to as we speak" Ratchet informed the pair.

Optimus looked at his mate, optics saddened. Optimus had been so overcome by moodiness that he didn't even try to use his bond to find his mate or try to think how Mirage might have been helping. Optimus hated being sparked as he knew it often meant Mirage was at the brunt of something. This time was no different. "This is all my fault…" the Prime uttered in all honesty.

Hide and Ratchet said nothing, as they knew, but Mirage was awake enough to reply. "You never were a good listener" Mirage whispered softly, trying to get his mate to laugh but failing to do so.

Optimus looked to his mate, feeling even worse. "I hurt you…"

"I still love you, beloved. Nothing will change that. I know you aren't perfect and that being sparked affects you greatly. We all make mistakes and we must learn from them" Mirage responded. "Besides, you didn't know I was there."

Optimus rubbed his face to dry off the energon tears before holding Mirage's hand. "I don't deserve you" Optimus whispered.

"Yes you do, my love" Mirage stated, pulsing love. Optimus stayed a while longer with Mirage while Ironhide headed for home.

Meanwhile, the two single sparked femme seekers, Opal and Starglider, were chatting in the rec room. They had gotten to know many bots, both mech and femme, but so far no one had caught their attention. Opal was much more patient than her friend.

"I wish Primus would bring us sparkmates right now" Starglider stated, getting sick of waiting.

"You will never get any bot with that attitude" Opal stated, telling her friend what the friend needed to hear, not what she wanted to hear.

"But I am sick of being alone" Starglider stated.

"I am tired of being alone as well, but I trust that Primus will bring the right bot along at the right time. Until then, my job is to get to know many bots in hopes I may find the one" Opal stated.

"I wish I had more of your patience" Starglider stated.

"Yeah, patience was never one of your strong suits" Opal added.

"I know. I still regret getting over-energized as a youngling" Starglider added.

"I tried to warn you that it would do a number on your systems, but you were insistent on trying it" Opal stated, laughing at the memory.

"It's funny now, but it sucked then" Starglider added, laughing as well.

"At least you outlasted that mech you challenged. He couldn't hold his high grade energon for anything" Opal stated.

"I remember him. He was such a prick. I am glad I outlasted him" Starglider stated, laughing at how the mech had passed out first.

"To avoid another such misstep, I ask you to try and be patient" Opal added.

"I think that would be wise, now that you bring up that memory" Starglider replied.

As they continued to chat, two new mechs that neither had met before walked into the rec room. One was a triple changer and the other was an aerial bot, but not a seeker. The two sparked femmes were so busy talking about old memories that they didn't see the two at first.

"Hey, you see those two over there?" The aerial mech, named Cosmic asked.

"Yeah, they are pretty" the triple changer named Sputnik answered.

"Dare you to say hi" Cosmic replied.

"Oh, come off it, they looked sparked. They probably have mates. Why should I say hi?" Sputnik answered.

"Scared-y bot" Cosmic teased.

"I am not scared" Sputnik replied.

"Double dare ya" Cosmic egged on his friend.

"Fine, but you are coming with me" Sputnik added.

"But…But"

"NO buts, you come with me or no dare" Sputnik added.

"Fine" Cosmic answered, reluctantly agreeing to go with his friend.

As the two mechs approached, the seeker femmes noticed them. Both mechs were nervous, though Cosmic seemed to show it more than Sputnik.

"Greetings" Sputnik started off with.

"Hi" Opal answered, Starglider was too nervous to answer and so she just smiled.

"May we join you?" Sputnik asked, seeing the two femmes were at a table sharing energon.

"Of course," Opal answered, moving a bit so both mechs could join in.

"My name is Sputnik, and my friend's name is Cosmic"

"I'm Opal and my friend here is Starglider" Opal replied.

"I don't remember seeing you two around before" Sputnik mentioned.

"We recently were awoken from suspended animation" Opal replied before exoplaining exactly what had happened. "… and to balance out the femme to mech ratio, we were selected, though we are the only two of the twelve that weren't bonded. The other ten seekers were bonded pairs."

"Wow. That is amazing" Sputnik added. Both Sputnik and Opal noticed that neither Starglider nor Cosmic were entering the conversation, but then neither really cared.

"It is amazing. And to be honest, because of that, I carry sparklings inside me" Opal added.

"Such a brave thing for you to do" Sputnik added.

Opal nodded and then looked at the other two. "Hey Sputnik, you want to get out of here and leave the two non-talkers alone?" Opal asked, not liking the awkwardness.

"Sounds good to me" Sputnik stated, and soon Starglider and Cosmic found themselves staring at each other while their friends headed off. Opal secretly hoped that Cosmic and Sputnik were the bots Primus had brought for Opal and Starglider.


	42. Chapter 42

Sputnik and Opal were glad to get away from the loud rec room, especially since their friends were doing more staring and less talking. "So what was it like to be in suspended animation for so long?" Sputnik asked, fascinated by what Opal had described.

"Well, in a sense it was like going into recharge and then waking up, but when you woke up, many years had passed instead of just hours" Opal explained.

"Wow, that is amazing" Sputnik replied. "I've never heard of anyone going into suspended animation and then being restored."

"Well, we were told before we went into suspended animation that in the future, a seeker medic who was the twin of a portal of Primus would be the only one able to return us to normal form suspended animation. We trusted that Primus would bring the bot along at the right time" Opal stated.

"So, it was as much a leap of faith as it was a way to preserve your citadel?" Sputnik asked.

"Indeed, it was, but Primus had proven to be faithful to us time and time again so we had no reason not to trust him in this" Opal stated. Sputnik nodded. He knew by this fact that she was techinically mech older than he was, but that didn't bother him in the least. He was just happy to have found such a nice femme.

"So, did all twelve of you carry saprklings?" Sputnik asked.

"Yes, all twelve of us are carrying. The five bonded pairs, one in each set is carrying the sparklings of the pair, the other in the pair is carrying sparklings from other bots" Opal explained.

"Why is that?" Sputnik asked, curious and not sure why bots would do that, as he had not heard of such a thing before.

"Because it would provide data code diversity once we were restored to normal" Opal replied.

"that makes sense" Sputnik stated, as it really did to him. "What did you do before you were in suspended animation?"

"I was an entertainer. I worked at a club. The bot who owned the club was my father" Opal explained.

"What kind of entertainer were you?" Sputnik asked, knowing there were various forms of entertainment.

"I was a singer for the club" Opal stated. "And I was one of the best. Only Starglider's voice was better than mine."

"Was she a singer too?" Sputnik asked.

"No, she worked with her hands creating things that bots needed. She didn't want to sing in front of others, she was too shy" Opal explained. "What do you do?"

"I work as a scientist of sorts for Optimus, which is why I find this fascinating. I was lucky enough to have been taught by Perceptor, instead of Wheeljack" Sputnik mentioned, not realizing that Opal knew nothing about either.

"That is a good thing, why?" Opal asked innocently.

"Because Perceptor is thorough and careful. Most to all of Wheeljack's inventions blow up and either are destroyed or maim the inventor" Sputnik explained.

"I can see why you are happy that Optimus placed you with Perceptor then" Opal stated. She was starting to feel something in her spark, but dared not push things too far. They continued to talk and get to know each other.

Meanwhile, back in the rec room, Starglider and Cosmic were still reeling from the fact that their friends just up and left them. "Well, that was rude" Starglider finally stated.

"Tell me about it" Cosmic replied, "they just up and left us here."

Starglider sighed. "yeah, they just ditched us."

"Well, I guess we can talk" Cosmic stated.

"What about?" Starglider asked, not sure if they would have anything in common.

"Well, we can start with you, tell me about your experience about being in suspended animation" Cosmic stated.

"Nothing really to say about it. It's like going into recharge to temporary stasis lock and then waking up, except you wake up years later instead of hours later" Starglider stated.

"Well, that sounds lame" Cosmic stated.

"tell me about it" Starglider stated, as she had lived through it and thought that it would be more exciting than it was.

"So, you didn't sense any passage of time?" Cosmic asked.

"Nope, not at all. Just trusted that Primus would wake us up at the right time" Starglider stated.

"Wow, that is quite a leap of faith" Cosmic stated, as while he trusted Primus to care for him, he wasn't sure he would be able to trust Primus that much.

"Primus was always good to us, and still is good to us. He always will be" Starglider stated.

"Wow, you have a strong faith in him" Cosmic stated.

"He saved me when I was younger. I almost died" Starglider revealed, having never told anyone outside of Opal about what had happened to her. Cosmic listened with great interest. Her near death story from her past touched his spark. "He saved me then because he had greater work for me to do. I still had a purpose that I needed to fulfill."

"That is amazing" Cosmic stated, "you are truly a miracle."

"No, I am no miracle" Starglider replied, as she didn't think of herself that way.

"You could have and should have died then, but you didn't. That makes your survival a miracle from Primus himself" Cosmic explained, much the way Opal had tried to explain it to Starglider. The difference was, Starglider seemed to believe it more coming from Cosmic than Opal.

"I suppose you are right, Cosmic" Starglider stated, her spark starting to pulse erratically around this mech.

"Of course I am right" Cosmic said with a smile, his own spark all aflutter at being near this special femme. Starglider smiled at that, as she knew he meant it in the best way. "Shall we head out of the rec room and maybe to my quarters?" he asked.

Starglider smiled. Her friend had been right, Starglider just needed to be patient and willing to accept whatever Primus brought to them. "I would love to go" Starglider stated. Cosmic gently took her hand and led her to his own quarters. Starglider got the feeling that come morning, she would no longer be alone in this world, nor would her friend. The only thing she feared was revealing that once bonded, she longed to return to her real home. She hoped that Cosmic would understand, but that could wait for now.


	43. Chapter 43

As Cosmic and Starglider as well as Opal and Sputnik were getting to know each other, Jazz was in the office of the Prime, trying to see how each citadel's rebuild was coming. He first checked with the newer Citadel of Vos.

"Jazz to Silverbolt, come in" Jazz stated, wanting to reach the aerial bot.

"Silverbolt here, how can I help you?" the aerial bot responded.

"I want a status report on the progress there" Jazz stated, much the same way Optimus would.

"Yes sir" Silverbolt answered and gave an update. Many things were going well, though a few minor setbacks had occurred. Silverbolt explained that they were easily rectified and the citadel was returning to its former glory.

"And how are the new bots assigned there?" Jazz asked.

"They had an attitude problem when they first showed up, but we fixed that pretty quickly" Silverbolt reported and told of how it was fixed. Jazz smiled to himself as it was a perfect punishment for those from the other site who had refused to help.

"Thanks Silverbolt. I will expect periodic updates" Jazz stated.

"Yes sir, Silverbolt over and out." And with that, the aerial bot signed off.

Jazz then decided to check on other citadels that were being repaired and got many good reports from the bots running the construction sites for the rebuilds of those citadels. Jazz finally commed the far side of Cybertron to check on those citadels. Feron was struggling, as they had hit a few snags with a mild virus running through the bots at the site, but the Underground citadel of Vos, the original citadel of Vos, was doing well per the report from Artic cat. Jazz was pleased and knew Optimus would be as well.

And since Jazz had all the reports, he decided that he would go update the Prime, to see if Optimus had any other concerns. Jazz soon made his way to the Prime's quarters, where Optimus was on his own, as Mirage had gone out for a short while with the little ones.

"Greetings, Prime" Jazz stated, after entering knowing he would ok to enter at this time.

"HI Jazz, can I help you with something?" Optimus asked, having one of his better days, hence Mirage was ok to be out and about with the little ones.

"Yes, I have reports from all the known citadels that are being rebuilt at this time and I wanted to tell them to you to see if there are any concerns that you have" Jazz stated.

"Alright, let's hear those reports" Optimus replied and Jazz informed Optimus of each report down to every last detail so that Optimus could make a wise decision. Optimus quickly processed each verbal report and filed it away in his processor so that when he returned to his duties, he was not unaware as to what was going on. Jazz continued until he got to the last of the reports, the one form the underground citadel of Vos. Optimus liked what he heard from all the reports, but he was concerned about something else. "Jazz, have you checked in with any of the exploratory teams that are still out there searching for any other citadels needing to be rebuilt?"

"No, sir, Prime. I hadn't yet had a chance to try and get report from those bots. I wanted report first from the citadels that were being rebuilt already" Jazz answered.

"I understand and thank you for the good reports. Now, I would like you to return to the office and check with all the exploratory teams that are still out there searching to see if they have found anything new or have anything to report" Optimus informed Jazz.

"Yes sir" Jazz stated and he headed back to the office of the Prime. He understood why Optimus wanted those reports as well and so he went to check on those bots.

Meanwhile, after Jazz left, Mirage came home, minus the sparklings, as he had left them with various other bots as Mirage had decided that Optimus needed to be spoiled, as Mirage didn't often get the opportunity to be around his mate this much and so Mirage was going to take full advantage of it. Optimus noticed that Mirage had returned, but was curious when Mirage had no little ones with him. "where are our sparklings?" Optimus asked, a bit confused.

"They are with various trustworthy bots. I thought that since you were having a good day and that I don't usually get to be with you this much, that now would be a good time for me to spoil you" Mirage stated, not even thinking of the fact that he himself was sparked as well.

Optimus smiled softly when he heard that, though Mirage could only tell by Optimus' optics as Optimus still had his battle mask up. "And just how are you going to spoil me, my love?" Optimus asked, having no idea all the ideas Mirage had running through his mind.

"Well, for the first thing, I plan to take you into the shower in the refresher, as you stink" Mirage stated, with a twinkle in his optic.

"And whose fault is that?" Optimus jested back, knowing this game.

"Not mine, but I will help clean you" Mirage stated, helping his mate up off the bot sized couch and leading Optimus into the shower stall. Mirage carefully began scrubbing his mate, washing away a lot of dirt and grime. Optimus couldn't believe just how good it felt to have his mate help clean off all the junk his frame seemed to attract. Mirage smiled as he watched his mate's coloration return to the bright red and blue it was when cleaned. Mirage had other plans after this, but this was just a start.

Next, once Optimus was cleaned, Mirage helped Optimus into a warm oil bath to help lube up stiff and sore joints. Optimus was amazed. When he thought of being spoiled, his processor had gone right to interfacing, but that apparently was not the first idea on Mirage's mind. Optimus just enjoyed this, hoping that eventually, it would lead to interfacing, but for now, he would just enjoy the ride.


	44. Chapter 44

Mirage continued to spoil Optimus, but in ways Optimus had never thought of. First was the warm, refreshing cleansing shower and the scrub down which removed all the dirt and then was the warm oil bath, which Mirage made sure went into every joint he could reach in the short time that Optimus was in the bath, especially any that were really stiff or sore. Optimus could only imagine what might come next. Mirage smiled, as it had been a long time since he had seen his mate so relaxed. Heck, it had been since before Optimus became Optimus. Mirage knew Optimus' processor had immediately gone to interfacing when Mirage mentioned "spoiling" Optimus. As a former pleasure bot, it made sense Optimus would think that, but Mirage wanted to show his mate there was more to spoiling than just interfacing.

After the oil bath, Mirage led Optimus to their shared berth. Optimus was sure that interfacing would take place now, but Mirage had other plans. Mirage knew that since Optimus was sparked, he wasn't allowed in the oil bath for long, and so Mirage now was going to massage oil into the joints that Mirage had been unable to get to in the warm bath. Mirage helped Optimus lay down on the bed but didn't lay down himself. "Love? Aren't you going to come to berth with me?" Optimus asked, worried.

"I will, my beloved, but I have a few more ways to spoil you first" Mirage stated warmly, gently rubbing his mate's faceplates.

Optimus groaned, as he was starting to get feel like he needed to face. "But…But" Optimus tried to say, but was interrupted when Mirage started rubbing warm oil into other joints that hadn't been touched during the short warm oil bath. Optimus mewled softly, amazed at just how much Mirage knew about spoiling the leader without resorting to facing.

"That's it, my beloved" Mirage whispered gently as he carefully rubbed areas. Mirage was pleased to hear the soft mewls come out of his mate, as it meant Mirage was doing this spoiling thing right. Optimus was torn, he enjoyed this but he really wanted to face. Little did he know, Mirage had two more things up his sleeve before that would happen.

"Please…" Optimus begged softly.

"Please what, love?" Mirage asked, now using a soft towel to wipe off the excess oil, which felt good on the leaders newly cleansed metallic skin.

"love me…." Optimus whispered, in need.

"One more thing first" Mirage stated, frustrating Optimus a bit.

"What's that…" Optimus groaned softly.

"You need plenty of energon. I am not having Ratchet come after my aft because you wanted to face while low on energon" Mirage stated and began feeding his mate the smooth cool liquid.

Optimus wanted to protest, but when he tasted the liquid and felt his tanks crave it, he realized his mate was right. Optimus drank four whole cubes before he felt full. "Mmm…that was good. Now I want dessert" Optimus moaned.

Mirage smiled. "then dessert you shall have" Mirage state and shared "dessert" with his mate. After dessert, both wound up sleeping wrapped up in one another's arms.

Meanwhile, Ironhide went to talk with his mate. Ironhide wondered if Orion knew of Optimus' "condition" and if Orion did, why didn't he say anything. Hide was going to find out.

Once home, Hide was greeted by his mate. "Hi, love, how was the mission?" Orion asked, smile on his faceplates.

"It was successful. We took out the bots who were not pulling their weight and put them elsewhere and then put bots in place who would pull their weight" Hide stated. "By the way, have you heard about Optimus?"

"What about him, my love?" Orion asked, wondering if this was a new surprise or one Orion already knew of.

"Well, after the mission today, Mirage…." Hide explained, talking about what happened in the med bay afterwards, "…and then Optimus told me he was sparked. Did he tell you?"

Orion sighed. "No, Optimus didn't tell me…Mirage did as Optimus was having a bad day" Orion stated, revealing he had known that Optimus was sparked.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Hide asked, wondering why Orion hadn't said anything.

"Because I haven't had a chance, my love. We have both been very busy" Orion stated, answering honestly. He knew they had both been working hard at their duties and with their little ones.

"I wish you had told me" Hide stated.

"Love, very few bots know right now. Optimus and Mirage would prefer to keep it that way for now. And I never meant to hide anything from you, I just was trying to process the whole thing myself as I thought form now on, Primus would only have Mirage carry" Orion explained.

"What do you mean very few bots know?" Hide asked.

"Only Ratchet, Mirage, you, and I know our Prime is sparked" Orion stated.

Hide was stunned when he realized that. "Well, Optimus knows too" Hide added.

"I was talking about the number of bots not including our Prime" Orion answered.

"You mean not even Jazz and Prowl know?" Hide asked.

"No, they have no clue. They know Mirage is sparked, but Mirage and Optimus have decided that for now, they want to tell as few bots as possible just in case" Orion explained.

"I guess that makes sense, especially since there are still come vicious cons on the loose that weren't killed or captured" Hide replied.

"Exactly. There is safety in hiding information regarding our Prime" Orion stated, "and our son."

Hide nodded. Put in that context, things seemed to make sense. "I just hoped after this, Primus decides that Optimus can be Prime without having to carry sparklings" Hide added.

"You and me both, as carrying these sparklings takes so much out of Optimus and makes him vulnerable to violent mood swings" Orion stated. Hide nodded and then both went to tend to their own precious sparklings. Orion still held a secret, but he was waiting for another time to share that. Hide would never see it coming. Orion could only hope Hide wouldn't flip out over it, but only time would tell.


	45. Chapter 45

Meanwhile, Opal and Sputnik were growing closer. Opal appreciated that Sputnik was a gentlebot and didn't force her hand. He was sweet and when she met some of his friends, they had good things to say about him. He only worries were would he accept the sparklings she now carried and would he be willing to return with her to the underground citadel of Vos.

"You seem distracted Opal" Sputnik commented as he had been talking to her about something and she hadn't responded.

"Oh, I am sorry" Opal replied.

"Something bothering you?" Sputnik asked, sensing it.

"Well, um…" She tried to say, as she didn't want to assume anything.

"Please, tell me. I will listen" Sputnik stated.

"Well… my spark seems to pulse for you" Opal stated.

"Are you worried that I might reject you?" Sputnik asked, his own spark pulsing strangely.

"A little, but…" Opal answered.

"But what?" Sputnik asked.

"I fear more that you will not only reject me, but the sparklings I carry and the desire I have to return to my home citadel, the underground citadel of Vos" Opal finally fessed up.

Sputnik was a bit taken aback, though he didn't show it. HE hadn't realized that she feared a different kind of rejection than he originally had figured. But he had a question. "If I may ask, what draws you back to your home citadel?" He asked kindly, wanting to know.

"It is my home, it is where I am from, where I belong. Any bot who becomes my mate has to agree to return with me" Opal stated, fearful she may have driven sputnik off.

"You are lucky, Opal. You have a home to return to. I have no home to return to. I was found in a youth center in a destroyed Citadel during the war. Any place that I would be welcome I could consider home" Sputnik explained.

Opal listened, saddened to hear that Sputnik had no home citadel but joyful when she heard he was willing to go to any citadel that would welcome him. "You would be welcomed at the Underground original citadel of Vos" Opal stated.

"Would I?" Sputnik asked, very curious and hopeful.

"Yes, we seekers at the underground citadel of Vos accept all bots, grounders or flyers" Opal stated happily.

"And what about a triple changer?" Sputnik asked, as he was one.

"You would be accepted" Opal reiterated. She had seen triple changers before.

"If I would be accepted and you are willing to bond with me, I think we can make this work" Sputnik stated, smile on his faceplates.

"Then let's make it official" Opal stated. "And remember, love, we already have the start to our family."

"Yes, my love, and I hope we can have many more" Sputnik stated as they headed off to bond as sparkmates.

Meanwhile, having already bonded as they were a little more forward, Cosmic and Starglider were talking. "I have to return to the citadel where I grew up" Starglider stated.

"You do?" Cosmic asked, having never realized the seeker was not going to remain here.

"I do. My spark longs to return there, especially now that I have a mate" Starglider stated.

"Where you go, I go" Cosmic stated, meaning it with all his spark.

Starglider stated. "Then we must make our return to the Citadel at once so that we can help rebuild the Citadel" Starglider stated.

"But if it is underground, how could it be so badly damaged?" Cosmic asked, eager to help but curious.

"Years of abandonment, as once we twelve were placed in suspended animation in the sacred temple of Primus, most seekers left the citadel and settled in the new Vos, which was above ground. Yes, it is not as devastated as many of your above ground citadels are, but it still needs repair before it will look as grand as it once did and be safe for bots to live in" Starglider explained.

It made sense. "Okay, love. Let's take off here and head for it. You lead the way as I don't quite know where I am headed."

Starglider smiled and soon the two were on their way back to the underground citadel of Vos, hoping to help restore it and then live there.

Meanwhile, out in deep space, Starscream and his brothers and one remaining son had managed to find a few straggler bots who were not happy about how the civil war had ended. Starscream told them his plans that he planned to enact once they had a large enough army. Most swore their allegiance to Starscream and his brothers, as they had been escaped prisoners of the Autobots and either were criminals or former cons. To them, anything that would damage the Autobots and take the Autobots down a peg, so to speak, was fine with them. "Starscream, don't you think we should test our army a bit?" Thundercracker asked.

"All in good time, my brother, all in good time. First, we need to gather a few more bots, then we will plan to raid one of the rebuilt citadels" Starscream stated.

Thundercracker nodded in agreement with the plan. Warp, however, was still concerned. "Don't you think the Autobots are aware that we are still at large?" Warp asked, wanting Starscream to really think things through.

"I think they are so focused on rebuilding those stupid citadels and being disgusting goody-two-shoes that they have no clue we were not destroyed or imprisoned, but they will soon find out" Starscream uttered sadistically. "We will bide our time just a bit longer before we strike. Have to make them feel comfortable enough that they drop their guard."

"Makes sense to me" Thundercracker stated, and the group continued to plat what they would soon attack. They hoped it would be successful and do as much damage as possible to the accursed Autobots. Starscream had no idea that a couple of bots from his past would soon haunt him and his plans to destroy everything that the Autobots had carefully and peacefully rebuilt.


	46. Chapter 46

A little later, Starscream figured that he had now had enough to make a trial run at a Autobot citadel. He carefully scanned Cybertron. HE figured that it would be wisest to attack far away from the Autobot base, and so Starscream set on test run on the citadel of Feron, which was being rebuilt and was a sister citadel that was protected by a citadel that Starscream didn't realize as the citadel was underground. Starscream launched an attack at the site, with himself at the lead, as he wanted to see this destruction up close and personal.

The bots in Feron were exposed and vulnerable. Most had never fought in the war and were frightened when strange bots flew overhead. And the few who had fought knew just how dangerous this situation was. They were on the far side of the planet, far away from the Autobot. They would report this, but they figured there was no way that anyone from the base could get here in time.

Slugbug, sensing danger, sent a strange comm to the seekers who were in the underground citadel of Vos, warning them of what was coming. The exploratory team was fearful, but the sparked seekers were pissed. They didn't stand for bots attacking vulnerable. "Alright, Tuner and I must stay, as Krypto has prevented us from fighting, but the rest of you, go" Artic stated.

"Are you sure?" Stingray asked.

"Yes, Tuner and I carry very vulnerable sparklings. We would love to go and help, but we cannot, you must go. Stunray, you take point" Artic stated.

"Yes, sir, Artic" Stunray stated, and the eight seekers who were not banned from fighting while sparked flew out of the citadel and towards the sister citadel Feron that these seekers had long protected.

"There they are" Snow cat stated, as he saw the four seekers flying over Feron and attacking.

"NO wonder Slugbug commed us. NO one from Autobot base could get here in time, not even Kryptonight and Wingspan" Stingray stated, unaware of just who these seekers really were.

"We must defend them" Stunray stated.

"And so we shall" one of the others stated.

Starscream, his two brothers, and Starscream's son flew overheard, tormenting the bots that were in the citadel below. Starscream laughed maniacally as he made target practice of this far away citadel, unaware of the trouble about to come to him.

"I command you to stop" Stunray yelled, startling the fairly young seeker.

"I follow no one's commands, you fool" Starscream answered angrily.

"You will, you brat" Stingray stated.

"I am Starscream, the most powerful seeker ever to live" Starscream yelled in his usual screechy manner.

"You are the disgusting filth….that is our great-grandson?" Stingray asked, not even thinking about mentioning it.

"I have no family, other than my triplet brothers" Starscream answered., not realizing these actually were family.

"If your brothers are who I think they are, you are our long lost great grandson" Stunray stated, seeing the coloration and knowing it.

"NEVER!" Starscream screeched and began tormenting the citadel of Feron again.

Stunray and Stingray looked at each other. "Something happened to them" Stingray stated.

"And whatever it was, it doesn't look good. But come on, we have a job to do. We must protect Feron at all costs" Stunray called out and the others followed him. It didn't take long before Starscream was forced to make a "tactical retreat," a phrase he had learned from Megatron.

Once Stunray and the others had chased off the evil bots, Stunray made his reports to both Artic Cat and Optimus. And while Artic Cat was stunned, Optimus was not. Optimus had known that Starscream was still free and was most likely just biding his time. Optimus thanked Stunray for the report. Artic, however, had more questions.

"Who is this Starscream?" Artic asked the exploratory group.

"He is an evil seeker. He served under Megatron during the great civil war. Rumor has it he and his triplet brothers were stolen in sparklinghood and forced to grow up fast under Megatron, which may have seriously screwed up at least Starscream if not his brothers as well" Sheetrock replied.

"Evil seeker?" Tuner asked, "I have never heard such a thing. Seekers a kind bots who help others."

"Not all were during the war, as Megatron slaughtered those who refused to join him" Sheetrock revealed.

Just then, the others returned from the scuffle. "Success?" Artic asked.

"Partially" Stingray replied.

"Partially?" Artic asked, curious.

"We saved the citadel of Feron, but we were unable… to save our great-grandsons" Stunray added, revealing who the despicable seekers had been that had decided to attack the citadel.

"Starscream is beyond salvaging" Sheetrock stated, having seen how maniacal and angry the seeker was.

"NO bot is beyond saving, especially when they are family" Stingray retorted angrily and emphatically.

"Only Primus could save him now" Sheetrock stated, as he told of what Starscream and his brothers had done in the war. "I am sorry that they are not the family you were hoping them to be, but Megatron most likely forever destroyed the sweet mechs they were meant to be."

Stingray was angry, but Stunray held her back. "Love, all we can do at this point is hope Primus will return them to us." Stingray was still angry but nodded.

Meanwhile, back on the far-off moon, Starscream was frazzled. He had gone out in hopes of testing his soldiers but had ended up meeting bots that knew him, or thought they did. That shook him to the core, as something that they had said had really rocked the crazed seeker. "Screamer, what's eating you?" Thundercracker asked, noticing Starscream had been silently brooding since they had returned from the skirmish that had resulted from the attack Starscream had planned.

"NOTHING!" Starscream screeched at the top of his vocal processors. "We just have to be more careful in our attacks from now on, as by now, that foul Prime knows we are still alive and still wish to fight and reclaim Cybertron for those who truly deserve it – us!" The other bots nodded as Starscream showed no fear to them, but TC and Warp could feel in their triplet bonds that something had spooked Starscream, they just didn't know what. They would learn soon enough.


	47. Chapter 47

Meanwhile, though still off, Optimus didn't like hearing that any citadel had been attacked, much less, had been attacked by rogue cons who were still on the loose. Optimus knew Starscream had survived, but hadn't realized that the seeker would try and attack Cybertron yet again. Optimus, now more cautious, sent bots to defend each above ground citadel being rebuilt to protect the bots building. Optimus would have sent some to the underground citadel of Vos, but Artic Cat had assured Optimus that they were fine. After hearing about the skirmish, Optimus believed Artic.

Elsewhere, Orion was on his way to the med bay. He had felt funny for a while, but had pushed his own needs off for a bit as the sparklings and Hide always seemed to need something form the former pleasurebot. Orion sighed. He had a feeling he knew exactly what was going on with him. His only problem was would Ironhide accept it.

First Aid spotted Orion as the older bot entered the med bay. "Can I help you Orion?" Aid asked, knowing Orion seldom came into the med bay alone for no reason.

"Well...I feel… odd. I think… I might be… sparked again" Orion answered softly.

"Would these be wanted or unwanted sparklings?" Aid asked, wondering if Hide had forced Orion to be sparked.

"Well, I want them, but I am not sure my mate would as we have so many already" Orion answered, relieving First Aid a bit.

"Well, before we worry about Ironhide, let's make sure you indeed are sparked" Aid stated.

"That would be much appreciated, Aid" Orion answered with a soft smile.

Aid scanned the bot with his specialized equipment. Aid was stunned by what he found. Orion wasn't just sparked – he was very sparked. "Um….Orion…. you are very sparked" Aid stated, still reeling from what he had found.

"Very sparked? What do you mean by very sparked?" Orion queried, as far as Orion knew you were either sparked or not sparked.

Aid swallowed a bot before continuing, "You have sparklings both growing in your chamber and on your spark" Aid explained.

"I have WHAT?" Orion asked, stunned at the revelation.

"You have one precious and large one growing in your sparkling development chamber AND you have two on your precious spark that will need to have protoforms built for them" Aid explained, though he was just as shocked as Orion.

Orion sighed. "What do I tell my mate?" Orion asked, not sure.

"If I know old hide, the truth is your best bet. Like Optimus, Hide hates being lied to" Aid stated.

"Could…could you comm my mate to come here?" Orion asked, still reeling a bit.

"Isn't he watching your other little ones?" Aid asked.

"No, they are with either Illusion and Buster or Optimus and Mirage" Orion stated.

"Then I will comm him to come here. You just rest" Aid stated. Orion tried to rest, but his processor was going a million miles an hour. Orion didn't even hear anything as Aid commed Hide. "First Aid to Ironhide, come in Ironhide."

"Ironhide, here. What do you need, First Aid?" Hide asked, a bit puzzled about being commed for by a medic. "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong, per se, but I was examining your mate and have some news for both of you. I would appreciate it if you came to the med bay in person" Aid explained.

"Alright, I'm coming, but give me some time, as my hip is acting up" Hide stated.

"I could look at that for you as well" Aid answered.

"Fine, I'll be there soon" Hide answered, and soon, though not too soon, Ironhide showed up in the med bay and was stunned to find his mate Orion laying on a med bay berth. "Orion? Are you ok?"

"I…I'm fine" Orion answered softly, still processing things.

"Aid, I demand to know what is wrong with my mate!" Hide uttered loudly.

"He is heavily sparked" Aid answered.

"What do you mean by that?" Hide asked, a bit confused.

"He carries three sparklings – one in his sparkling development chamber and two on his spark" Aid answered, waiting to see how Ironhide would take this news. Too stunned to answer, Ironhide passed out in shock. Orion was stunned and Aid tried not to laugh, as Hide seemed to be overreacting to the news.

"Is he going to be ok?" Orion asked, concerned for his mate.

"He'll be fine. Besides, since he is passed out, I can get a good look at his hip" Aid answered and looked at the bad hip. Aid made a few minor adjustments before Hide came back around.

"Is he really sparked?" Hide asked, concerned for his mate.

"Yes, he is. Now are you willing to accept them or not?" Aid asked, not knowing Hide wasn't aware that Orion feared rejection of these precious sparklings.

"What kind of a stupid question is that. Of course I will accept them and love them" Hide answered, relieving both Aid and Orion's worries. "All sparklings are precious and to be treated as such. Granted, we had planned on holding off on having more, but I will love them none the less as Primus gave us these precious gifts." Orion smiled, obviously relieved to hear what his mate had said.

First Aid smiled as well. "Then, once I hook up this energon drip and it finishes, you two may go home" Aid stated, having the drip and then let the two be.

"So you had a surprise for me as well, didn't you hon?" Hide asked lovingly.

"I suspected I was sparked, but until I got it confirmed, I did not wish to get any bot's hopes up nor did I want to cause any problems" Orion stated.

"Love, you need not fear me. No matter how many sparklings we have, when Primus decides to bless us again, I will happily accept them, no matter what" Hide stated, carefully holding his mate close, being mindful of the drip. Orion smiled and curled into his mate. That was exactly what Orion had needed to hear.


	48. Chapter 48

Elsewhere, having ditched the bots they were supposed to be with, Peacekeeper and Flasher were out and about exploring things far beyond the underground base. And while Keeper was more cautious and wary, Flasher was anything but.

"I am not sure this is such a good idea, Flash" keeper mentioned as they got further and further from the safety of the base.

"oh, come on, Keeper. The war is over and all those nasty cons are gone. What could go wrong?' Flasher replied in his usual manner. Flasher wanted the freedom that out here seemed to present, not realizing that as a son of the Prime he could be a target from rogue bots who didn't like the Prime for whatever reason.

"I still don't think that this is a good idea, Flash. What if something happens to us? NO one knows we are out here" Keeper asked, his processor much more like his father's, worrying about what might happen.

"You can go back if you like, but I am going to keep going" Flasher retorted, sick of living in the underground base.

"No, I will not go back, as you are too impulsive and will get into danger. I will go, but I go under protest" Keeper stated, knowing his parents would have his aft for this regardless, but would have his aft more if he left his twin alone and something happened to Flasher.

"Spoil sport" Flasher stated as he raced ahead. Being built more like their mother, Flasher was much faster than Keeper, whose form was more like their father's. Keeper had to strain just to try and keep up. He just hoped and prayed that they would not run into trouble.

Back at the underground base, unaware of the twins' departure, Mirage was searching for the last if their young ones – Keeper and Flasher- but was having no luck. "Optimus, have you seen our sons" Mirage asked via comm, failing to mention which sons.

"Which sons are you referring to, love?" Optimus answered via comm, seeing that most of the young ones, including the advanced younglings Slugbug and Kryptonight, were home.

"I can't seem to find Peacekeeper or Flasher" Mirage responded, growing worried.

"Have you tried the archives?" Optimus asked, knowing Keeper often went there.

"Yes, neither are there and according to bots there, neither has been there since yesterday" Mirage answered.

"Have you tried the former training room, as I know Flasher sometimes like to practice in there" Optimus suggested.

"Been there, not there" Mirage answered, clearly at his wit's end.

"Have you tried coming Red alert or Recon?" Optimus suggested, not liking the sound of the suggestion.

"No, I haven't" Mirage responded, dreading the comm to make.

"I hate to say it, but I suggest you comm whichever one is on duty and have them try and locate the twins" Optimus stated, having a bad feeling about all of this.

"I so hope you are wrong" Mirage retorted, feeling and sensing what Optimus felt, as Mirage felt much the same way.

"I hope I am wrong too, love" Optimus stated and signed off.

"Mirage to security director" Mirage commed, not sure who was on.

"Recon here, go ahead Mirage" Recon stated.

"I am missing two of my sons. I cannot locate Peacekeeper and Flasher anywhere that they usually end up being. I hate to ask, but can you review footage to see if you know where they are?" Mirage asked, his worry showing through on the comm.

"I will do my best" Recon stated, realizing that this was no drill but the two actually seemed to be missing. Recon scanned all the footage from the last eight hours, and finally, he located footage that showed something that Recon was going to hate to tell Mirage. "Uh…Mirage?"

"Yes Recon?"

"I have located footage of them, but…" Recon started.

"But what?" Mirage demanded to know.

"But it was of them leaving the base entirely, about six hours ago" Recons answered, fearing the response he would get.

Oh Mirage was livid, but he was not about to take it out on Recon. "Can you tell me what direction they headed?" Mirage asked too calmly.

"They headed out south by southwest. If they kept going that direction, by now they would be close to the new citadel of Vos where the aerial bots are stationed" Recon answered, relieved not to be yelled at.

"Thank you Recon" Mirage replied and ended the comm.

Mirage then commed Jazz, as Mirage was medically prohibited now form going out of the base. "Mirage to Jazz."

"Jazz here, go ahead Mirage"

"We have two new younglings that are running free out on Cybertron. No adult is with them" Mirage stated.

Jazz was not happy to hear the report, as younglings were precious and to be treated as such. "Who are these younglings?" Jazz asked, unaware that it was his own grandsons.

"Peacekeeper and Flasher, Jazz" Mirage answered, obviously upset.

"I will get somebody right on it" Jazz stated, ending the comm with Mirage and comming Hide and another random bot to go out in search of the wayward younglings. Jazz updated Mirage with who had been sent to bring the pair back home. Mirage was only mildly relieved to hear it. Mirage was not happy with his sons and hoped that they came back alive and in one piece, as Mirage knew that even without the cons around, there were still many dangers especially to bots related to the Prime.

Meanwhile, getting close to the above ground citadel of Vos, Keeper and Flasher were finding things were much more difficult away from the base. Things were unfamiliar and it bothered them. They didn't know the layout of the land and had no clue that they were near a citadel that was being rebuilt, hence they sensed bots nearby. "I don't like this, Flash. You and your silly ideas."

"Can it, will you? I gave you a chance to go home and you refused" Flasher stated.

"Mom and dad are going to have my aft anyway, but they will have my aft more if I don't come home with you."

"Mom and dad have so many sparklings they won't even notice us gone" Flasher stated.

"Mom will notice. I know she will" Keeper stated, hoping they would soon head for home and unaware that bots had been sent to find them.


	49. Chapter 49

As Peacekeeper and Flasher neared the above ground newer citadel of Vos, they had no idea that their parents had bots sent out to retrieve them. Well, Peacekeeper figured they would be sought after once mom and dad realized that they were out while Flasher was clueless. Peacekeeper was a bit torn. He enjoyed being out here, but he didn't like that they snuck out. He was deciding whether or not to comm someone to tell them.

Flasher was far out in front of Keeper, having fun doing donuts and other tight maneuvers in his lighter form. Keeper was worried, and so though he didn't want to rat on his twin or himself, he saw little choice. Knowing Jazz was the temporary leader, Keeper commed him.

"Peacekeeper to Jazz" came the sudden comm.

"Jazz here, go ahead Peacekeeper" Jazz answered, not showing he was stunned by the comm.

"I am concerned, sir. My twin and I headed out and we are alone. Flasher may not like this, but I feel I have no choice but to comm you, sir" Keeper stated.

"Where are you at, Peacekeeper?" Jazz asked, wanting to be able to tell Ironhide and the others.

"I am not 100% sure, sir, but here are the coordinates…." Keeper answered, revealing that the twins were very close to the above ground citadel of Vos.

"Please stay put. Someone will come soon" Jazz stated, hoping to comm one of the aerial bots once off the comm with Keeper.

"Yes, sir. I will stay put, but I cannot say the same for my twin, as he is much faster than I and may keep moving now that he has this freedom" Keeper stated, in all honesty.

"Just do what you can to stay put keeper, help will come soon" Jazz stated and signed off. Jazz then commed Ironhide. "Ironhide, the twins Peacekeeper and Flasher are close to the above ground citadel of Vos."

"Copy, that, Jazz. It will take us time to get there" Hide answered.

"Not a problem, as I am going to comm the aerial bots to see if they can help" Jazz replied.

"Understood, over and out" Hide replied.

Jazz then commed Silverbolt, "Jazz to Silverbolt"

"Silverbolt here, along with Air Raid, how can we help you, sir?" Silverbolt answered, knowing Jazz was the temporary Prime as Optimus was on medical leave.

"Peacekeeper and Flasher, two younglings, left the safety of the underground Autobot base and headed out on their own" Jazz stated.

"What does that have to do with us, sir?" Air Raid asked over Silverbolt's comm.

"Peacekeeper commed me and gave me there coordinates, they are close to where you are rebuilding. I told Peacekeeper to stay put and he likely will but Flasher is faster and likely will not stay put until ground units can get there. Would you please fly out to these coordinates (gives them) and check on the pair?" Jazz asked.

"Can do, sir" Silverbolt answered. Jazz and the two aerial bots ended them comm.

"Why would those two leave the base on their own?" Bolt asked to no one special, just thinking aloud.

"Because they can" Air Raid stated.

"Not funny" Silverbolt stated, though it was probably a true statement.

"I think you and I should fly out and check in on them, since we know about this" Air Raid stated, and Silver agreed. They headed out to the coordinates that they had received.

Keeper was staying put, as he had been told, waiting for any bot to find them, as Keeper had no idea where he was. Flasher, on the other hand was far away, though if Keeper looked hard enough, he could still see his twin. And while Hide and the others were far off, the two aerial bots soon made their way to the area. Peacekeeper, being built like his father and listening better that Flasher was easily located.

"Peacekeeper" Silverbolt called out.

"Yes, sir?" The youngling replied.

"Follow me back to the citadel of Vos" Silverbolt stated. Keeper was stunned. He hadn't realized that they had gone that far, but he nodded and started to follow bolt.

"Peacekeeper, where is Flasher?" Air Raid asked and Keeper pointed in the direction that Flasher had gone. Air Raid cursed but took off after the other youngling while Silverbolt led Keeper back to the above ground Citadel of Vos. Keeper knew he was going to be in trouble form both his twin and his parents, but he was just glad he was safe at this point.

Once back at the citadel, Silverbolt updated Ironhide on things before talking to Peacekeeper. "What were you thinking?" Silverbolt asked, much like Mirage would have asked.

"I was thinking that I wasn't about to allow my Twin, Flasher, to leave the base on his own, sir" Keeper stated.

"So, you left the safety of the base because of Flasher?" Silverbolt asked.

"Yes, you see, he was going to go away whether I went or not. I figured that if I at least went with him, I could make sure he stayed safe, sir" Peacekeeper answered, telling the truth.

"Why didn't you tell anyone that you were going out?" Silverbolt asked.

"I have no answer to that question, sir" Peacekeeper stated. "We should have told someone before we left but we didn't."

"Ironhide and a couple of other bots are coming here to bring you and your wayward twin back to the underground base" Silverbolt stated. "In the meantime, you can think about what you have done while you help us rebuild this citadel" Bolt stated, putting the youngling to work. Keeper didn't mind doing hard work, as he knew it was important, but this was harder work than he expected. Still, knowing it was serving as punishment, he took to doing it without complaining.

Meanwhile, Air Raid was still trying to catch Flasher, who saw the Aerial bot and ran. Air Raid had figured based on what was said that Flasher would likely run. The thing was Air Raid knew where he was and Flasher didn't. Air Raid also knew that Flasher had illusionary abilities like Mirage but wasn't as skilled in using them. Air Raid just hoped his knowledge was enough to help corral Flasher before the bot got hurt or worse.


	50. Chapter 50

Ironhide, on his way to find the runaway younglings, sent the two faster grounder bots with him to help Air Raid get Flasher while Ironhide went to the above ground Citadel of Vos to get Keeper. Ironhide was not happy with his grandsons for doing this and he himself would read them the riot act when he found them.

Meanwhile, the two faster grounders that Ironhide had sent to help Air Raid were getting closer to finding Flasher. Both knew Flasher had abilities like Mirage, but unlike Mirage, Flasher was not as skilled in using them. Air Raid kept in touch with the pair as they tried to corral Flasher before he got hurt.

"He's running south by southeast" Air Raid commed the two fast grounders.

"We've picked up his trail, hopefully we will get him soon" one of the two commed back. All three hoped Flasher would soon stop and give himself up.

Meanwhile, Ironhide rolled into the above ground Citadel of Vos and was met by Silverbolt. "Greetings, Hide. I wish our meeting was under better circumstances" Bolt stated.

"I do as well. Tell me, where is Peacekeeper?" Hide asked.

"Oh I put him to work doing hard labor as soon as I brought him back here" Bolt stated, not surprising Hide.

"So, did he complain?" Hide asked, wondering if Keeper would do so.

"Nope, just dug in and got right to work. In fact, I've heard more complaining from those former supervisors you brought me than I have heard from Peacekeeper" Bolt revealed.

"Well, hard worker or not, I have come to bring Peacekeeper home" Hide stated.

"I will get him for you" Bolt stated, before going to get Peacekeeper. "Please wait here."

"Okay" Hide stated, and waited for Bolt to return.

Silverbolt headed for where Peacekeeper was supposed to be, but Peacekeeper wasn't there. "Where did that new bot go?" Bolt asked the workers at the site where Bolt had assigned Keeper, as it was relatively safe.

"Oh we sent him to work the oil pipe lines just like we do with every new bot" one stated, laughing as this was their form of 'initiating' new bots, by sending them into some place more dangerous.

"YOU IDIOT! That bot was a youngling, not an Adult!" Bolt yelled.

"WHAT?" The bot who had answered, shocked. "You are kidding me."

"No, he ran away from home and I was putting him someplace safe until those who sought him could come pick him up. I swear if any harm comes to him, your aft is had" Bolt answered and he raced to the area where the oil pipe lines ran. It was a dirty and dangerous job usually saved for very experienced bots who were adults. Bolt could only hope that Keeper was safe.

At the oil pipe line area, one bot recognized the youngling. The bot said nothing, but kept an optic on the bot. And while this bot knew why the bot had been sent here from the other part of the site, this bot was not about to let the youngling get hurt.

"I don't understand, sir" Keeper stated as he was trying to help, "I was sent here to help you."

"You are not a full-grown bot and those idiots sent you here as a form of initiation. I will not allow an inexperienced bot to work on these. Please, watch me and learn" the bot stated. Keeper did as told. He had some oil on him from being in the area, but otherwise was unharmed.

Bolt soon arrived at the area. "Please tell me, you did not let him work on the pipe lines" Bolt asked, worried.

"No, I did not. I can see he is not a full-grown adult and he has no experience in this area. I was having him watch me. He got a little dirty, but not hurt" the mech answered.

Bolt was relieved. "I will take him with me now, as Ironhide has requested this youngling" Bolt replied.

"Please, take him, sir. He has been very helpful and didn't complain when helping with less dangerous stuff here where I work."

As the two were talking, Peacekeeper was stunned to hear what the two were saying and also relieve to hear that Ironhide was here. Keeper went with Bolt to meet up with Ironhide.

As soon as Ironhide saw Keeper, Hide was livid, as he knew what the dirty, oily mess meant. "How dare you place a youngling to work the oil pipelines" Hide called out.

"I didn't place him there, Hide. I placed him in a safe area to work, the idiot bots there sent him to the oil pipelines as a form of 'initiation.' I was pissed when I learned it myself. Those bots will be reprimanded" Bolt explained.

"It is true, sir. I was not assigned to the oil pipelines, I was assigned elsewhere, but the bots there forced me to go to the oil pipelines" Keeper stated, backing up Bolt's claim. "But the bot who I was sent to in the oil pipeline area refused to allow me to do anything dangerous there. I helped with a few minor things, hence I am dirty, but he would not allow me to do anything dangerous."

Hide nodded. "You're lucky, kid."

Keeper nodded. "I know I am, sir."

"Now let's get you home. I can only hope the others round up your wayward twin soon" Hide stated. Keeper merely nodded, transformed into his vehicle mode, and began to follow Hide back to the underground base.

Meanwhile, Air Raid and the two others were closing in on Flasher. Flasher was having fun racing around and trying to elude those who tried to stop him. But it wasn't until a stray shot seemingly out of the blue hit Flasher and stopped him in his tracks that the three were able to finally capture the wayward youngling. Flasher was hurt by the blast and the others now raced to get him help. The grounder bots took flasher to get medical treatment while Air Raid scanned the skies to look for where the shot had come from. Air Raid detected a seeker in the area – one that was a former con but not Starscream or his brothers. Air Raid, spotting the youngish seeker, chased the bot off. Air Raid was not looking to explain this one to the Prime.


	51. Chapter 51

And as Ironhide was leading the dirty but safe Peacekeeper home to the underground base, Air Raid had no choice but to comm the real Prime, as Air Raid new Optimus was medically off duty but this had to do with his own son.

"Air Raid to Optimus, come in Optimus" Air Raid stated.

"Go ahead, Air Raid" Optimus stated, having been briefed by Jazz and Mirage as to what had been happening.

"I found Flasher" Air Raid started, not wanting to tell in what condition, but unaware that Optimus could tell something was amiss by the way Air Raid spoke.

"And?" Optimus asked, knowing there was more to come.

"He was shot at by a rogue seeker. I am taking him to our site's med bay to be treated, as it is too far right now to take him to the main underground base. Once we get him stable, we will get him back to the main base" air Raid stated, sensing Optimus was not happy, but not realizing it was not because of him.

"Thank you for your report. I will send Ratchet to the site to make sure all is ok. Any reports on Peacekeeper?" Optimus asked.

"No, I was sent after Flasher, as he and Peacekeeper had split up. I suggest you comm Silverbolt."

"Will do. Keep me posted on Flasher's condition" Optimus stated.

"Yes sir" Air Raid replied, ending the comm.

Optimus, concerned about his other son, commed Silverbolt. "Optimus to Silverbolt."

"Yes, Prime?" Silverbolt answered.

"I want a report on the status of Peacekeeper" Optimus stated firmly.

"I found him easily at the coordinates he sent to Jazz, as Peacekeeper had not wanted to come on this, but had come so that Flasher would not be alone, or at least that was how Peacekeeper put it. I learned that Ironhide and a couple others were sent out to locate the pair of younglings. I brought Peacekeeper back to our site and I put him to work until Hide or someone else came" Bolt reported.

"I see. Was he safe at that job?" Optimus asked, knowing Keeper was a youngling and some jobs were ok and some were completely inappropriate.

"I placed him in a safe area, however, the idiot overseeing that thought it would be funny to send him to the oil pipelines. Thankfully, the bot at the pipelines recognized Peacekeeper as not old enough and refused to allow him to do anything harmful. I have severely punished the idiot who did this, but if you wish to punish me for this, I understand sir" Bolt stated.

Optimus processed what he had been told. Bolt, had tried to do everything right, or so it sounded like, and some other bot tried to harm the youngling, but Optimus was not going to base his decision on one lone report. "I will verify with Peacekeeper and Ironhide what you have said, and if true, I will only punish the idiot who dared do such a thing. I must investigate thoroughly before I make my final decision regarding this matter" Optimus replied.

"Yes, sir. Understood, sir" Bolt stated, knowing it was the truth bit appreciating the fact that Optimus would investigate this whole thing fully before making any decisions.

Meanwhile, Flasher was brought to the site's medical area to be looked at. The on-site medic was a little worried, as he had never worked on a youngling that had such damage. He was a fairly new medic that had become a medic once the war was over and had been sent to the site to attend to minor things that had occurred or to make sure bots weren't overworked. This was not something he had expected, but though nervous, he remembered what his mentor Ratchet had taught him.

"You think you can stabilize him?" Air Raid asked.

"I think I can, let me check a few things here" the young medic stated, had he scanned and tested things on the youngling. Thankfully, the shot Flasher took had missed anything vital and while painful and large, they were not life-threatening, as long as the medic could stop the flow of energon oozing out of them. The medic cauterized and soldered different places, hoping to stop the leak of energon, as that was the most critical part. Soon, the medic had stabilized the youngling. "Ok, he is stable for transport."

"Optimus said he was sending Ratchet here" Air Raid stated.

The medic was stunned, as he had no idea why Optimus would send out Ratchet. "Why is that? TO check on me?" the young medic asked, worried.

"No, it is just that Ratchet has experience with war wounds and Flasher is Optimus' son" Raid revealed.

The young medic's optics went wide. "This is a son of our PRIME?" He asked.

"Yes, he is" Raid replied, unsure why the young medic was so stunned. "Does that bother you?"

"No, no. I just never thought I would be good enough to work on someone related to the Prime" the medic revealed. "I was always told that only the best get to work on the Prime's family."

Then Air Raid understood. "Right now, you are the best, as no other medic is around" Air Raid stated.

"I just hope Ratchet isn't disappointed when he arrives" the young medic stated.

"I think Ratchet will be impressed with you" Air Raid answered, hoping to build the young medic's confidence.

"I hope you are right" the young medic answered, hoping his mentor would approve of this even as the young medic watched to make sure Flasher remained stable.

Soon, Ratchet showed up, and went directly to where he had helped set up the medical site on the site. "How's he doing, First Responder?" Ratchet asked.

"He… he is stabilized, sir" First Responder answered.

Ratchet scanned over Flasher and was thoroughly impressed with the work First Responder had done, though Responder didn't realize it. "He is stable and I will help transport him back to base."

Air Raid just nodded as Ratchet left with Flasher. "You realize that was a huge compliment" Air Raid stated.

"It was?" Responder asked.

"Yes, he basically stated you stabilized the youngling so that he felt comfortable enough to take the bot back to base instead of working on him here to stabilize him first" raid stated, and a small smile appeared on responder's face as well as a small tear of joy in his optic. That meant a lot to the young medic. Air Raid just smiled and left to return to work as there was still much to be done.


	52. Chapter 52

Keeper soon arrived back at the base with Ironhide. Hide had lectured the youngling the whole way home. Keeper had expected and had remained quiet unless Hide had demanded an answer to a question. Keeper had expected the lectures and working at the site gave Keeper a new appreciation for how easy he really had it. He didn't shirk his work, but he now realized just how "light" it was compared with what others had to do. It had humbled Keeper even further.

"Now go straight to your parents" Hide commanded as they entered the base.

"Yes sir" Keeper stated, not even asking about Flasher, as Keeper had felt over the twin bond what had happened to his twin. Keeper just hoped Flasher would make it. Keeper headed for home, knowing at least one if not two more lectures were in store for him.

Optimus had decided that this time, it was his turn to wait up for the wayward younglings and allow Mirage to rest, as Mirage so often did it. Keeper was expecting to encounter his mother first and was shocked when he saw his father up. "You have some explaining to do" Optimus stated in a depp, serious, Prime like tone.

"Yes, Prime, sir" Keeper answered, unaware that Optimus hadn't realized that Mirage had taught their own sparklings to address him as Prime once they were younglings.

And while Optimus was a bit surprised by that, he didn't let it show. "You snuck out of the base on an unauthorized mission and failed to notify anyone of your destination. What say you to that?" Optimus asked, going into full Prime mode.

"I am guilty as charged, Prime, sir. However, my choice to leave was based on the fact that another young soldier had departed on his own and I feared that if I did not leave with said bot, said bot would have been in deep trouble and no one would have been able to find him sir" Keeper stated, explaining the truth and accepting whatever punishment was to come.

"Did this other bot have permission to leave?" Optimus asked, wanting to see how much Keeper would reveal.

"No, sir. He wanted to sneak out on his own. I went with him so that someone would know where he was in case he did get lost or in trouble" Keeper answered, telling nothing but the truth.

Optimus was impressed. "And what type of punishment do you think would be fitting to a bot who disobeys orders?" Optimus asked.

"At least a few days in the brig sir, or a few shifts at a construction site" Keeper answered.

Optimus was intrigued by the second answer. "Why do you answer with that second suggestion, soldier?"

"Because when I was found and returned to the construction site by Silverbolt, he put me to work in a safe but challenging position. I found that this work was mech more difficult than what I had expected or dealt with before. TI certainly taught me a lesson that I should be grateful for what I have and my opportunities" Keeper explained.

Optimus nodded. He wasn't too surprised that Keeper had learned his lesson, as Keeper really was a good youngling with a good head on his shoulders and Keeper had most likely left because of Flasher. "It would seem to me that you at least have learned your lesson" Optimus stated.

"Yes sir" Keeper answered.

Optimus went to embrace his son. "You can drop the 'sir', Keeper, right now I am a very relieved father" Optimus explained as he hugged Keeper.

Keeper hugged back, glad to be home. "I am glad I was able to come back home safely."

"Your brother is not so lucky" Optimus stated.

"I can feel he is hurting, but I don't know why" Keeper stated.

"Keeper, not long after you reached the safety of the construction site, a random rogue seeker took a shot at Flasher. HE is stable but is hurt and Ratchet is transferring him back here to our med bay" Optimus explained.

Keeper was in shock. "No, say it is not so!" Keeper answered.

"I am afraid it is true. Come, they should be arriving back to the med bay soon. You and I will go together, since your mother is resting and so are the other sparklings" Optimus responded. Keeper nodded as words failed him. He felt like a failure. He had gone out there to protect his twin from getting lost or getting hurt and Flasher still ended up both lost and hurt. "Peacekeeper, there is nothing you could have done. Flasher made his own decisions – to leave, to wander off, to evade those sent to help him. He made his choices and now is living with the consequences of those choices." Keeper nodded, he didn't like it, but he was learning that he was only responsible for what he chose to do not what others chose to do.

Meanwhile, Hide went back home to explain to Orion what had happened. Orion was waiting at home while their sparklings, minus Bee were asleep. Bee was elsewhere with another friend. "So did you bring them back safely?" Orion asked after Hide had told the bot what had happened.

"Well, I brought Peacekeeper back, dirty but safe" Hide replied.

"And Flasher?" Orion asked, sensing something was wrong.

"The two bots with me were faster so I sent them to go help Air Raid catch Flasher. Before any of them could reach him, Flasher was attacked by a rogue seeker. I heard Ratchet was sent out to retrieve him from the construction site where I found Peacekeeper" Hide stated.

Orion hugged his mate. "We don't always understand why younglings do what they do, but we must let them learn how to make their own choices and live with the consequences of those choices" Orion stated, hoping that Flasher would be ok.

"I just hope that Flasher's choices this time don't end up killing him" Hide stated.

"You and me both, my love" Orion stated, hugging Hide and saying a prayer for Flasher.


	53. Chapter 53

And while Peacekeeper and his father went to check up on Flasher, at the site in above ground citadel of Vos, Silverbolt was punishing those who had tried to pull the thoughtless stunt on Peacekeeper. It wasn't because Peacekeeper was the son of the Prime but it was because Peacekeeper was a still a youngling and safety regulation had policies that prohibited younglings from working in certain areas if younglings were allowed on the site at all. Silverbolt ripped into each bot that had been a part of the whole thing and made sure they learned their lessons. Once all was taken care of, Silverbolt made his formal written report for Optimus to review. Silverbolt would have commed and updated the Prime, but Silverbolt knew that Optimus was very busy and so the written report would be better.

Meanwhile, back at the underground base, Peacekeeper and Optimus made their way into the med bay. Keeper still felt awful. He still felt this was his fault even though Optimus had already explained it wasn't. Keeper still felt guilty, especially when he saw the damage on his twin. Keeper about lost, and only the presence of Optimus kept Keeper in line.

"How is he, Ratchet?" Optimus asked with the deep concern of a parent while still trying to keep Keeper from blowing a gasket.

"He's stable. Right now, he is in a induced temporary stasis lock until we can make sure all systems are repaired and or damage free" Ratchet explained. Ratchet noticed Keeper pacing but it was better than the bot yelling, as Keeper's temper was much like Optimus' temper.

"How much longer do you think he will need to be like that?" Optimus asked, really wanting to know.

"I don't think it should be much longer, as we are very close to finishing with repairs" Ratchet answered. "Why was he outside the base?"

"According to Peacekeeper, Flasher was planning to sneak off the base on his own" Optimus reported.

"And did Flasher succeed in that?" Ratchet asked as he worked.

"Yes and no. He snuck off the base, but Keeper went with him in hopes of preventing Flasher from getting lost or getting hurt" Optimus stated.

"Well, thanks to Peacekeeper we can be grateful that Flasher is not dead" Ratchet stated.

Peacekeeper heard the comment and his helm shot up. "thanks to me? Thanks to me? He still got hurt!" Keeper called out.

"But rogue Cons are still on the loose apparently, and without you having followed him, we would have had no place to look for him as we would have had no way of knowing where he headed and he may not have made it" Ratchet explained to the youngling.

Peacekeeper hadn't thought of it like that. HE thought he had failed. "I thought I had failed as he still got hurt" Keeper stated.

"But because you commed your location, bots were already trying to help Flasher when he was attacked, hence he wasn't slaughter, merely injured with non-life-threatening injuries" Ratchet stated and only then did Keeper seem to calm down as he realized that though his brother was hurt, it could have been much worse.

Meanwhile, Mirage was rousing. He knew that his two wayward sons had been located, he just didn't know that one had been injured during the locating and retrieving process of the two. Mirage looked around and was surprised to not see his mate as Mirage knew that Optimus was on medical leave like Mirage was. Mirage commed his mate.

"Optimus, where are you?" Mirage commed, worry in his voice.

"I am in the med bay…" Was all Optimus got out before Mirage but in.

"Why are you in the med bay? Are you hurt? IS one of our sons hurt? Why are you not at home? And why didn't you wake me and tell me?" came the rapid fire questions from Mirage.

"If you will listen, I will tell you" Optimus stated, sensing Mirage's worry.

"I'm listening" Mirage said coldly, already working on sending the little ones off to other places so that Mirage could go to the med bay and see what was going on.

"Well, as the bots were trying to help get flasher back to the base, Flasher was attacked…" Optimus tried to explain.

Mirage then read the riot act over the comm as he worked on getting the little ones elsewhere and then headed for the med bay. Mirage was in a mood and even Ratchet and Keeper could tell by how Mirage sounded coming over Optimus' comm link. "I hope mom takes this well" Keeper whispered.

"You and me both, son, but something tells me, your mother will not be happy – with either of you or me" Optimus added as they waited.

They didn't have to wait long as Mirage burst through the med bay doors "WHERE IS MY SON?" Mirage yelled, having a mood swing thanks to being sparked along with the worry about his two sons having runaway.

"He is right here, Mirage" Ratchet stated, drawing the bot's attention.

"What happened to him?" Mirage asked, rushing to his son's side.

"As he was horsing around, a rogue seeker blasted him or so I was told in report by Air Raid who witnessed the whole thing and rove the rogue seeker off" Ratchet explained.

Mirage just cried, as this was too much. Keeper was shocked to see his mother's moods change so fast but Optimus wasn't and before Mirage could crash to the ground, Optimus went over behind his mate and held him close. Mirage cried into his mate's chest plates. This was just too much for mirage to handle right now. "Optimus, take him home before he sparks those little ones too early. I will continue to work on Flasher and will let you know any new developments" Ratchet informed Optimus.

Optimus nodded. It was all he could do right now as Mirage was a moody mess and Flasher's condition wasn't helping. Optimus soon left with Mirage while Keeper remained in the med bay. He wanted to stay so that Flasher knew someone was there. Ratchet, though reluctant, allowed it for now.

(Might be a few days until next update as my schedule is pretty busy coming up)


	54. Chapter 54

And as Flasher was being repaired from his outing, Peacekeeper stayed close by, wanting to make sure his twin would be ok. "I…I thought the war was over" Keeper stated to now one in particular.

"Well, officially, it has been declared over, however, there are still some rogue Cons that are not imprisoned or dead and I have a feeling they are not happy either" Ratchet stated.

"You really think former Cons did this?" Keeper asked.

"Well, I wouldn't say former. I would say Cons who had somehow remained alive and avoided capture, like Starscream and his trine" Ratchet stated, still working on Flasher.

"Do you think the war will start up again?" Keeper asked, hoping it wouldn't.

"I wish I could say no, but the fact is that with rogue bots out there, it is always a possibility" Ratchet replied, thinking much like Keeper about not wanting the war to start again. Keeper may have been a youngling but at times he acted more like an adult than some adults. "Flasher needs some rest, go visit your parents for a bit Peacekeeper." Peacekeeper nodded and soon left.

Meanwhile, the attack on Flasher went through every construction site that was being worked on throughout Cybertron. When Word got to the underground citadel of Vos, they realized that their run in with the seekers wasn't an isolated incident and so they reported what had happened to them to the other sites and soon, all sites were on high alert for an unusual activity.

And in the Underground citadel of Vos, the sparked seekers were making good progress on restoring the citadel to its former glory. The grounder team that had remained was astonished to see such progress, but they helped as well with whatever they could help with. The seekers appreciated the help.

Meanwhile, at the sister citadel to Vos, Feron, things were going well as well. The grounders assigned to work at the site were making excellent progress when one of them discovered a hidden tunnel beneath the old citadel. He and his friend decided to explore it as it appeared safe. They had no idea where they were headed.

"This is strange" Rebar stated.

"Very strange, let's explore it" Crane answered.

"I wonder where it leads to" Rebar replied.

"Only one way to find out, and that's to go through it" Crane responded, just as excited about all this as Rebar. The two headed in and continued to follow the somewhat lit tunnel. It appeared to be bot made but where did it go, they wondered.

Soon, thinking that no one was missing them at their assigned site, they reached what appeared to be the end of the tunnel, but something seemed off. "Where are we?" Rebar asked.

"I haven't a clue" Crane answered, just as baffled as his friend.

"Quiet, I hear voices" Rebar stated and the two hid behind something, waiting for the voices to go by. As the voices approached, Rebar thought he recognized one – but he wasn't sure.

"There is that tunnel up ahead" Artic stated.

"Where does it lead?" Sheetrock asked.

"If memory serves me correctly, this is the secret tunnel that was created between the underground citadel of Vos and our above ground sister citadel of Feron" Artic Cat explained, unaware of the two bots who had come over from the other site. The bots heard the seeker and were stunned.

"Do you think it still is safe?" Sheetrock asked.

"The lighting needs to be replaced and such but it was built to withstand a lot, including having sensor doors that would detect if energon was going to flood it and they would close. In fact, it comes out underground in Feron. I am not sure where, but it does" Artic explained, sensing something as they got closer. "identify yourselves!"

Rebar and Crane realized that they had been spotted somehow and came out of their hiding place. "I am Rebar and this is my friend and fellow co-worker Crane. We accidentally came here through the tunnel as we work at Feron and had found it. We didn't know where it led" Rebar stated, worried that he would upset the seeker.

"Don't hurt them" Sheetrock replied, not wanting any harm to come to the young bots.

"I won't hurt them, but I don't like bots just sneaking around" Artic stated, not liking strange bots just sneaking into the citadel.

"We didn't mean to, sir. We were just trying to figure out where we were" Crane stated.

"You are in the underground citadel of Vos, the original Citadel of Vos where seekers originally came from and seekers and grounders lived in peace" Artic explained to the young worker bots.

"Wow" Rebar stated. "I thought Vos was a place where seekers isolated themselves."

"Unfortunately, our descendants, when they left this place, decided to use an isolation policy instead of our own welcoming policy to run the above citadel of Vos" Artic explained. And then things seemed to make more sense to the two who had come from the sister citadel construction site.

"I think you two better head back before you are discovered to be missing" Sheetrock stated.

"I agree, you need to head back, but let the others know that we are here to help if needed" Artic stated.

"We will do that, sir, thank you" Crane stated.

"My name is Artic cat and I am now the leader of this site" Artic stated.

"Yes, sir, Artic cat, sir" Rebar replied and he and his friend hurried back through the tunnel they had found, back to their original assigned construction site. They hoped they weren't late.

"Where have you two been?" Their supervisor asked, not happy that they had left the site.

"We found a hidden tunnel sir, and once we determined it was safe, we passed through it as we wanted to know where it went. We Found that it connects this citadel to a "sister" citadel – the underground citadel of Vos" Rebar answered. The supervisor looked at them. "Honest, you can talk to Artic Cat."

That name rang a bell with the old supervisor and at that, he let them be. "Alright, now back to work."

"Yes sir" and the pair went back to work.


	55. Chapter 55

Back at the main underground base, Flasher was slowly recovering, though recovering much faster than an adult as Flasher was young. Ratchet made sure that Flasher was completely fixed up before allowing the youngling out of the med bay. "You got lucky, Flasher" Ratchet stated.

"Lucky?" Flasher asked, unaware of how close he had been to not coming back alive.

"Yes, that rogue seeker that hit you was a lousy shot. A mere foot in any direction and you wouldn't be talking right now. You would be with Primus" Ratchet stated, emphasizing parts that he felt needed to be emphasized.

Flasher was absolutely stunned. "You're lying to me" Flasher stated, though Ratchet could tell Flasher was worried what the medic had said.

"I don't lie about my work, Flasher. I am a medic. I tell it like it is, whether or not you like the answer" Ratchet stated. "Now you should get home. Take it easy and listen to your parents."

"Yes sir" Flasher responded and he headed for home. Ratchet sighed – Flasher had manners but had no common sense. Ratchet couldn't figure out how that worked and didn't have time to as his next patient was arriving.

Meanwhile, in the quarters of the Prime, Mirage and Optimus were talking with Peacekeeper, deeply disappointed in what the twins had done and what had happened as a result of what they had done. "We love you but it is hard to trust you when you two do silly things like what you just did" Optimus stated and Flasher overheard.

"I understand. You expected more out of me and I failed you" Keeper answered, unaware his twin was home.

"It will take time to rebuild the trust we had in you and your twin" Mirage explained, not happy about this whole thing either. Mirage had trusted them to be good younglings and follow the rules. Keeper nodded, as he knew Mirage was right. It would take a long time to rebuild the trust that Keeper had previously earned. Keeper wished he had never gone on the stupid outing, but he had felt compelled to protect his twin. Even with that, it still felt wrong.

"It was my fault" Flasher stated coming into the conversation. "I am the bot to blame. I was getting what the humans call "cabin fever" and I wanted to get away from home for a bit. I was going to go alone, but Keeper wouldn't let me. He told me that if I go, he will go so that I would return home safely."

The three other bots looked to Flasher who had spoken. He appeared battered and bruised, but Ratchet had fixed up what he could. Optimus didn't look too happy with Flasher, nor did Mirage. "You made a reckless choice, Flasher. You could have been killed. You have to understand that rules are made to keep you safe, not to stop you from having fun" Mirage uttered.

"Unfortunately, I had to learn that the hard way" Flasher stated, rubbing over the solder lines in some of his recently repaired wounds.

"You both had to learn this the hard way" Optimus stated. "I wish you both weren't so stubborn"

"At least we come by that honestly" Flasher stated, knowing both his parents could be very stubborn and pointing it out.

"Yes, Flasher, but you have to remember that there is a time and a place for everything and this was not a time or a place to be stubborn about things" Mirage retorted. He hated being called stubborn even if it did apply to him. He preferred to use the term "determined" but it still meant much the same thing.

"I am just relived that you are both back safely" Optimus stated, obviously relieved that the two were finally where they belonged.

"And I think we both learned our lesson" Keeper mentioned, stunning Flasher as Keeper didn't look bad.

"You aren't hurt" Flasher retorted, trying to figure out just how his twin had learned his lesson.

"No, I had to go work at the nearby construction site until Hide came to get me and perform a few really tough, dirty, nasty jobs that were harder than anything I have ever done before" Keeper replied, which explained why he was still so dirty and felt disgusting. Mirage hadn't let the bot clean off just yet so that Keeper would learn even more from all of this. Flasher nodded. "Now can I clean off, mama?"

"Yes, and you better be squeaky clean by the next time I see you" Mirage stated with emphasis. Keeper hurried off, happy to finally be able to wash the gunk off him. He hit the showers and scrubbed hard as Keeper had heard this type of gunk takes a lot of effort to get rid of.

Back in the main part of the quarters, Flasher was still standing with his parents. Both were grateful that Flasher was still online but were upset at the choice he had made. "You are really lucky flasher" Optimus stated, seeing the wounds.

"Ratchet said the same thing" Flasher stated, not wanting to hear this again.

"You know, seekers had a reputation of being deadly accurate with whatever they shot at. That seeker chose not to kill you, and I am not sure why" Optimus revealed.

"You mean it wasn't a bad shot like Ratchet said?" Flasher asked, wishing he wasn't hearing this.

"No, this was sent as a warning to me" Optimus stated, realizing what had really happened.

"Why would they want to send a warning or message to you, dad?" Flasher asked, curious, not thinking of his father as the Prime over all transformers. Mirage had a bad feeling about what Optimus would say next.

"Because I am Prime. They are trying to lure me out by hurting those who work under me. They long to do away with me so that they can have Cybertron" Optimus explained. Mirage sighed, as that was what he had thought as well. Flasher was stunned, as he hadn't thought of it that way. Things had taken a turn – for the worse or for the better, no one knew.


	56. Chapter 56

Optimus, though medically off-duty for a bit, checked in with every site and team that was away from the base. He wanted to make sure was on guard just in case any other attacks occurred. All sites were able to report that they had made plans and arrangements to stay safe while exploratory teams were appreciative of the update and agreed to keep a closer watch. Optimus told had told no one, but he had figured that since not all the Cons they had fought against were killed or captured, that they may try to start the war again. They only difference was that they would not have Megatron for a leader. Optimus wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

Meanwhile, in another part of the underground base where the Prime currently resided, Bee was walking about on his own. He wanted to explore a few things, as well as find out one thing – if he was the only minibot around. He didn't tell anyone, not even his parents, that he was constantly teased for being small. Not by all bots, as many family, but bots outside of family could be relentless.

"Hey small fry" came a call from a youngling that constantly bullied poor Bumblebee. Bee tried to ignore the bot, but that seemed to make the bully angry. "I said hi, aren't you going to reply, you tiny thing?"

Bee looked at the bot. True this bully was twice Bee's size, but then, Keeper was much bigger than that. "HI" Bee replied tersely. He didn't want to greet the bot, but he felt compelled.

The bully smirked, as he had gotten a forced reply from the minibot. Bee sighed. This was something he dealt with every day and wished someone would come help him. Little did Bee know that Keeper and Flasher, who had left their parents to rest, would be walking by. Flasher and Keeper noticed the whole thing. They stood back just a second to see what was going on.

The Bully, a bot named Bulldozer, kept making fun of Bee and his size, unaware that the two bigger bots, who weren't even full grown, were nearby. Bee said nothing in return, but Keeper and Flasher could see the words hurt their uncle. Both decided to step in. Bee saw the two approaching but said nothing as they had indicated for him not to. He just hoped that they would help stop this.

"I see you have a thing for picking on those smaller than you" Keeper stated, standing boldly and appearing to look much like Optimus, the only difference at that point was coloration.

Bulldozer whipped around, thinking he was going to deal with another small bot and was stunned by how these two bots outsized him. "Well…no. It's…It's how I make new friends" Bulldozer replied, trying to be smooth and play it cool with these bigger bots. Neither Keeper nor Flasher were buying it.

"You think it's fun to pick on those who are smaller than you?" Flasher stated, his anger rivalling his mother's and Keeper looked like an angry Optimus. Bee was grateful for the save.

"You misunderstand…" Bulldozer tried to say.

"What did we misunderstand?" Keeper asked, suddenly morphing into looking like his father, the Prime, thanks to Flasher, who morphed into looking like Mirage.

Bulldozer was shocked, not believing his optics. "Prime?"

Flasher had secretly sent over the twin link about what he was planning to do to morph them and so Keeper knew why Bulldozer had reacted that way. "Yes, and you are going to the brig and will stay there until I and only I decide to release you. Guards, take him away" Keeper stated, sounding like his father. Guards came and hauled the bully off.

Only once the bully was gone did Keeper and Flasher return to their normal selves. "Uncle Bee, how long has this been going on?" Keeper asked kindly.

"It started a while ago. He does it daily" Bee revealed.

"Well, maybe now he will learn not to pick on those who are smaller than him" Flasher replied.

"I hope so. I just wish I wasn't the only minibot around" Bee stated.

"I don't think you are" Keeper stated, and told Bee of a few bots that were around who were also minibots. Bee appreciated hearing that he wasn't alone.

"Thank you, nephews" Bee said, grateful for their help.

"You are very welcome, uncle Bee. Let us know if you ever need us again, we will help you" Flasher stated, hugging bee. Bee smiled and the two twins left. Bee headed off, hoping to meet and get to know some of the other bots that Keeper had named so that Bee no longer felt alone.

Peacekeeper and Flasher headed back home, wanting to update their parents on what had happened, but figured that they should tell Ironhide and Orion first, and so they headed there first.

Orion answered the door and let the twins in. "What brings you by?" Orion asked.

"We came because we wanted to tell you what happened with Uncle Bee, grandma" Keeper stated and he informed Orion of what had happened and what Keeper and Flasher had done about it.

Orion was appalled to hear what had happened to bee, but smiled when he heard what the twins had done. "You both had so much of your father in you" Orion said, knowing Optimus would have done much the same thing.

"We just wanted to help, as no one deserves to be treated like that" Flasher stated, sounding much like his mother and father.

"You are right, no one deserves to be treated like Bee was, but you also have to remember, that the bully is a bot as well and deserves to be treated like a bot" Orion stated.

"We didn't hurt him, we sent him to the brig to think about what he had done" Keeper stated.

"Hopefully, that will help him turn around and stop bullying others" Orion stated, and the three chatted for a bit, and when Ironhide came home, he was updated as well. Hide was proud of what his grandsons had done.


	57. Chapter 57

As Peacekeeper and Flasher were talking with Orion and Ironhide, Bee found himself meeting some of the bots that Peacekeeper had mentioned. Bee smiled as he greeted them and found camaraderie amongst them. "I thought I was the only minibot around here" Bee said to them.

"We once thought the same, but now we know differently. And we never would have met up if it weren't for Peacekeeper and Flasher" the lone femme minibot replied.

"They helped you too?" Bee asked, a little surprised, but not overly so, as he knew his nephews well.

"Yes, both were friendly to us and stood up for us against other bots who were not nice to us. We never did understand why, as they were so much bigger than most bots. It puzzled us" another mech minibot stated.

"I think… I know why" Bee said, as he thought about it.

"Why is that?" the femme minibot queried, eager to know just like the others.

"They are my nephews" Bumblebee revealed.

"You are related to them?" the other mech asked.

"Yes, you see, their father is my brother, though many years older than I" Bee revealed.

"Then that explains it all. I am so glad that they understand" the femme replied.

"I think they would do it anyways, because that is how their parents raised them, whether I was a minibot or not" Bee stated, knowing it was the truth, as he had seen his nephews stick up for other bots.

"I am glad they are around then" another stated, and bee got to know all the bots in the group.

Meanwhile, having told Hide and Orion all that had transpired, Keeper and Flasher headed for home. They knew they needed to tell their parents what had happened, especially since only Optimus would be able to release the bully from the brig. "I hope dad understands" Flasher stated.

"He usually would" Keeper replied, knowing their father and his temperament with these kinds of things.

"Yeah, but with him being sparked, you never know" Flasher retorted, a bit sarcastically.

It was enough to rile up Keeper who rarely got riled up. "FLASHER! You know you are not supposed to say that in public. It isn't public knowledge!" Keeper answered sharply and in a commanding tone, reprimanding his twin. Keeper knew Flasher had trouble keeping secrets at times, and this was neither the time nor the place to say such a thing out loud.

"No one is around to hear us" Flasher replied.

"Well, as mom says, the walls have audios" Keeper reminded his twin, who at least had the decency to look sheepish.

"true enough. Let's head home" Flasher stated, unaware that some bot had heard him – a bot named Prowl, who had been in the area looking for one of his lost sparklings. The twins headed for home, unaware that they had just revealed something that they were not privy to reveal.

Prowl didn't say anything as he heard the twins talking, but he wondered if what they had said was really the reason why the Prime was on medical leave and not something else. Prowl found his little one and headed for home, waiting for Jazz to come home.

And soon after Prowl got their little ones to sleep, Jazz came home. "Hi love" Jazz said, tired from being acting Prime.

"Hi, my love" Prowl responded, but his response indicated that he had questions for his mate.

"What's wrong?" Jazz asked, picking up on the vibe.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Prowl asked, figuring Jazz knew since Jazz was considered to be Mirage's mother.

"Tell you what?" Jazz replied, having no idea what his mate was asking but not liking where this was headed.

"Why didn't you tell me Optimus was on medical leave because he was sparked?" Prowl asked, revealing what he had heard from the twins.

"What are you talking about? Is Optimus really sparked?" Jazz answered, revealing he knew even less than Prowl did. "Who told you that? Ratchet?"

"Let's just say I overheard a couple bots talking" Prowl stated in reply, realizing Jazz really hadn't known anything about it. "I thought Mirage might have mentioned something to you, you being his adoptive mother and all."

"No one has said anything to me about it" Jazz revealed in all honesty, angered at the fact that not only had Prowl accused the bot of hiding information but also that Mirage hadn't said anything if this really was true. "tell you what, I will comm Mirage tomorrow and talk to him to find out if this rumor is true."

"Fair enough" Prowl stated, backing off a bit and sounding more like the loving mate he should have been. Prowl offered Jazz a hug, but Jazz was still to riled up from the conversation and the accusations and refused the hug. Prowl waited a bit longer before he realized what he needed to do. "I'm sorry, love" Prowl offered.

"Apology accepted. I still can't believe you would dare accuse me of hiding something like that from you" Jazz stated, still hurt but willing to forgive his mate.

"I wasn't trying to accuse you of anything. I just thought since he saw you as a mother figure, he might have told you and asked for advice from you" Prowl gently explained to his worried mate.

In that context, Jazz finally realized why Prowl had said what he had. It wasn't the best way to go about it, but Jazz now understood. "I now see what you were saying. Like I said to you, I will talk to Mirage tomorrow and see if I can find out the truth from him." Prowl just nodded and offered another hug. This time, Jazz accepted it. He had needed the hug previously, but his slight annoyance at Prowl had caused him to back off. This time, Jazz snuggled into his mate. Prowl just held Jazz close, knowing that they were in no rush to do anything. Soon, Prowl carried his tired mate to bed and they both slept soundly, setting their systems to wake only if there was an emergency or if their little ones needed anything.


	58. Chapter 58

The next day, Jazz decided to confront Mirage about what jazz had learned "through the grapevine" so to speak. Mirage wasn't hard to find, as he was in the med bay getting checked out. Jazz headed there with some pointed questions for the bot Jazz had taken in as a son.

Ratchet was scanning Mirage's systems when Jazz entered the med bay, and his facial expression was one of "I want the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth". Mirage saw Jazz approach and wasn't sure why Jazz had such an expression on his face. "What's up, mom?" Mirage asked casually, assuming that this was a friendly visit and not expecting the oncoming confrontation.

"First off, I am acting Prime, so address me properly, and secondly – you have some explaining to do" Jazz retorted, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Mirage was a bit shocked at how Jazz had reacted, but then realized his mistake. "Yes, sir. How can I help you?" Mirage answered, not liking this. He already hated being in the med bay but now this made it worse.

"Is it or is it not true that our true Prime is sparked?" Jazz asked pointedly. He wanted to know the truth as he had heard the rumor.

"It is true" Mirage answered quietly, not sure who else was in the med bay and not wanting to give away more information than necessary.

"Why was I not informed of such?" Jazz asked, both as acting Prime and as a mother.

"I hadn't had an opportunity to tell you and dad yet. Orion and Hide just found out a short bit ago. I wasn't trying to hide anything, I just didn't want everyone to know our Prime was once again sparked" Mirage answered honestly. He didn't like this, but saw little way out of it. "Besides, with you as acting Prime and Prowl busy with other things, I couldn't get time from you guys to tell you. How did you find out?"

Jazz softened his tone a bit at hearing what Mirage had said. It wasn't that he wasn't going to say anything, Mirage just hadn't had the opportunity yet. Then Jazz heard the last question Mirage asked. "Prowl overheard Peacekeeper and Flasher mention something about it. He got after me thinking I knew and hadn't told him. When he realized that I didn't know, then we both realized that some explaining was in order."

"I can assure you that Optimus is fine and his sparklings are growing as they should thanks you taking on the roll as acting Prime for a bit, Jazz" Ratchet stated.

"And Flasher can't keep a secret to save his life" Mirage added, knowing Flasher was more likely to accidentally blab things that shouldn't be revealed. "I am sorry that you found out the way you did, I was going to come see you after my med bay visit today to tell you."

"Were you really?" Jazz asked, not sure if it was true.

"Yes, I was going to come by, as Wingspan was coming with me. Even he doesn't know and I was going to tell you both at once" Mirage revealed. He was telling the truth.

Jazz looked to the bot Jazz had adopted as a son. "I still don't like that you didn't tell me sooner and that I had to find out in a round-a-bout way, but I love you, my son" Jazz stated.

Mirage looked to Jazz, wanting to see if Jazz meant it. One look told Mirage that Jazz did mean it. "Thank you, mom" Mirage replied, "I love you, too."

"Alright, you're good to go, Mirage" Ratchet stated, and just at that time, Wingspan appeared.

"Lets go, bro...MAMA?" Wingspan uttered, stunned to see Jazz in the med bay. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to talk with Mirage about something, but we can all go talk in private" Jazz stated, much to Mirage's relief.

"Ok, but I want to know what is going on" Wingspan stated emphatically.

"You will, but only once we are in private" Mirage stated and the three headed out of the med bay. Ratchet just smiled and then went back to work as the trio left.

On the way, the trio met up with Peacekeeper. Mirage looked to his son. "Hi mom" Peacekeeper stated.

"Son, I want you to come with us" Mirage stated, "as the four of us need to talk."

"Yes mama" Peacekeeper stated and he followed the trio into a private room. Once in private, Mirage revealed the truth and told all about what had happened, about Optimus being sparked, and about telling family slowly so that the word did not get around. Mirage also confronted Peacekeeper with what Jazz had revealed. "I told Flasher not to say those things as the walls have audios" Peacekeeper retorted, revealing more of the truth.

"I am not mad at you, Keeper" Mirage stated. "I am not mad at Flasher either. It is my own fault that this had to happen this way, as I was waiting for a good time to tell my family."

"There's been rumors floating around for a while, Mirage" Wingspan revealed. "Word on the Prime's health has been a very big topic of interest."

"Well, other than being sparked, Optimus is healthy" Mirage stated.

"You might want to let others know that are Prime is safe as some are worried we may have a new Prime soon" Wingspan stated.

"I will talk to Optimus and have him set up a base wide meeting so that all can see he is still our Prime" Mirage stated.

"The sooner the better, bro" Wingspan revealed.

"I agree" Jazz stated, now knowing the full story and everything that was going on.

"I'll help, mama" Peacekeeper stated.

"Thank you. Thank you all. But now, I must head home and let Optimus know what is going on so that he may confront it and put rumors to rest" Mirage stated and soon he and his son headed back to their quarters. Hopefully, Optimus would do as suggested.


	59. Chapter 59

Mirage headed home with his son, Peacekeeper. Neither had any idea what was going to happen this time when they went home to talk to Optimus. Mirage and Keeper chatted on their way.

Meanwhile, in the quarters, Optimus felt off – like something was going on with his systems. And since Mirage was not around, Optimus commed Ratchet to come. Ratchet came quickly as Optimus rarely called. Ratchet made it to the Prime's quarters far ahead of Mirage and Keeper. "What's wrong, Prime?" Ratchet asked.

"I don't know but something feels off" Optimus replied. He wasn't sure, but something wasn't right.

Ratchet scanned and instantly found the issue. "You are sparking" Ratchet stated and he got to work. "Where is that mate of yours?"

"I..I don't know" Optimus answered as he began to push at Ratchet's urging.

"Well, comm him and get his aft here" Ratchet hollered at the Prime. Ratchet didn't mean to yell, but this sparking was a dangerous one, as all four little ones were breech and refused to turn.

Optimus tried to reach his mate – he pulsed along the spark bond that he needed help. Mirage got the pulse and began racing back to the room, unsure as to what he would find.

Once home, in the master berthroom, Mirage could hear ratchet and Optimus and Optimus sounded like he was in agony. Mirage raced back to the room and threw open the door. There, on the berth, Optimus was sparking and Ratchet was helping. Mirage felt awful for not having been there. Mirage moved to his mate's side and comforted Optimus as the little ones emerged. Keeper, seeing what was going on, went and closed the door to the room and then went to watch the little ones.

And in the master berthroom, Optimus was trying not to yell out in pain as each of the little ones was sparked. The first sparkling was a mechling who looked much like Optimus except for a bright white star on his chest. Mirage smiled as the little one softly cooed as he was removed. Mirage hoped most would be like that but he wasn't holding his breath.

Optimus had a bit of time after sparking the first little one and asked to see the little mechling. "Here he is" Ratchet stated, holding the little one who was peacefully sleeping.

"I think we will call him Whitestar" Optimus uttered, prepping to spark the next one.

"I like it" Mirage stated, comforting his mate.

The next two came out in quick and painful succession. The first of the pair was a bright orange femme and the other sparkling was a soft blue and silver mech with white stripes down his legs. Both warbled loudly at being out of the warm place, but the little mech was louder than the femme.

Mirage had to smile at the sight. IT was precious. "Well, I think Stripes would be a good name for the mech" Mirage stated.

Optimus nodded. "and Signal could be her name" Optimus suggested.

Mirage wasn't too sure about that name, but he couldn't think of a better one. "Well, one more left."

Ratchet prepared for the last one to come. It took its own sweet time to come out, causing Optimus all manner of pain. Ratchet was trying to help the little one out when Ratchet got kicked by the little one. Mirage stifled a laugh. Ratchet carefully pulled the little one out from inside it's mother. This good sized mechling was a spit fire and it showed. Optimus was glad his turn to spark was over. He hoped he never got sparked again.

Mirage was happy to have a healthy mate and healthy little ones. "And what shall we name him?"

Ratchet looked at the little one. The little one was healthy, just like the others. This last one just seemed to have a personality more similar to Ratchet's instead of Optimus or Mirage.

"I was thinking somewhere along the lines of Valiant" Optimus stated tiredly, as this sparking had taken much out of him.

"I like it" Mirage stated and welcomed the four new little ones to the world. Ratchet checked everyone out and then left. Soon, Mirage was able to get the little ones to sleep.

"Where did you go?" Optimus asked, wanting to know where his mate had been as this was all starting..

"I went to talk with Jazz and Wingspan – to tell them you were sparked" Mirage stated.

"You didn't tell them sooner? They are family" Optimus replied, a little upset at his mate for not telling family sooner.

"I hadn't had an opportunity to tell them sooner, especially with Jazz taking over for you" Mirage replied. "but we have a bigger issue."

"Oh? What's that?" Optimus asked and Mirage told of every rumor he had been informed of regarding Optimus' absence and health. It took a good ten minutes and at the end Optimus was extremely concerned by what he had heard. "Do they really think that I am so sick that we are going to have another Prime?"

"According to some rumors that are going about, yes, some bots think that way. I think we need to tell everyone the truth as soon as possible" Mirage stated.

"Let me rest a bit, and then I will set up a base wide meeting so that I can talk to those who are at the base" Optimus replied.

"And for those who are out at construction sites and exploring?" Mirage asked, reminding his mate that not all bots were in the base as some were in various citadels of Cybertron or exploring other parts of the planet.

"I will video comm the supervisors at construction sites and I will speak with leaders of each exploratory team" Optimus stated, as all he needed now before he did that was a good amount of rest. Mirage hoped Optimus' coming announcement and meetings would put a stop to all the rumors that had run wild while the Prime was on medical leave.


	60. Chapter 60

After the rest and being declared medically sound to return to duty, Optimus made sure Jazz knew of the change and Jazz welcomed it. "Nice to have you back, sir" Jazz stated, though Optimus could hear the hidden undertones of being disappointed by not being told sooner.

"Rest assured, it is good to be back, Jazz. I can't wait to set up a base wide meeting. And I am sorry that you were not informed of my need for medical absence before you had been. Mirage was supposed to tell you much sooner" Optimus informed Jazz, much to Jazz's relief.

"Thank you, sir" Jazz stated, relieved to hear Optimus sound like the strong Prime he was.

"I am heading to my office to make my announcement regarding a base wide meeting, as the rumors that were brought to my attention must be quelled" Optimus stated, showing he now knew all that was going on.

"Yes sir" Jazz replied.

Soon, Optimus was at his office and Jazz greeted him properly. Optimus made his announcement from the office. "This is Optimus, your Prime, speaking. I am holding a base wide meeting in 2 hours, I expect every bot on base to be at this meeting unless you are on shift or have a medical reason not to come. That is all, thank you" Optimus stated, then ended the announcement.

"Two hours is not much time, sir" Jazz stated.

"But it shows that this is important" Optimus responded. "And it gives me time to notify all construction crews and exploratory teams that I am back and I am in charge."

"Yes, sir, although I must make you aware of one more thing" Jazz stated.

"And what is that?" Optimus asked, unaware that his son keeper had put Bee's bully in the brig and not to be released until only Optimus allowed it.

"Bulldozer has been sitting in the brig for nearly a week. Strict orders came from you to leave him there until you released him, and only you" Jazz stated.

"I made no such orders" Optimus stated, a bit stunned by the revelation.

"I know that, but no one else does. I think with Flasher's abilities, he was able to make your son Peacekeeper look like you and Peacekeeper gave the order appearing as you" Jazz stated.

"And why was this bot placed in the brig by my sons?" Optimus asked, as he hadn't asked his sons further about this.

"Being a bully to Bumblebee, sir" Jazz stated.

Optimus nodded, and stated he would address that issue after he addressed the other issues. Jazz nodded and soon left. Optimus took over his role with ease. He knew exactly what needed to be done. He contacted the main supervisor over each site and updated them via video comm. Then he updated each exploratory team that was still out in the field. All were glad to have Optimus back at the helm.

Two hours quickly went by and the largest area of the base was soon filled with all the bots at the base who were able to come to the meeting and not in the brig, in the med bay, on shift, or medically off duty. Optimus scanned the bots. He knew each and every bot personally and so he knew who was there and who wasn't.

"My fellow bots, there have been rumors aplenty as I was on medical leave. Rumors that were going about that stated there would be a new Prime or some such thing. Let me tell you now, I am Prime and there will be no other Prime until Primus decides otherwise. I was on medical leave as I was once again carrying sparklings. I was carrying four precious new lives and the medics were concerned if I kept up my schedule I would lose them. Well, now that I have sparked the precious little ones who are healthy and I have been declared fit, I will return to my usual duties" Optimus informed all the bots.

Most were relieved, as they feared a new Prime. And all were happy that Optimus had returned. Optimus answered a few questions from the gathered bots and all were happy to hear the true explanation behind the Prime's medical leave. The bots not only welcomed Optimus back but also welcomed the new little ones who were being held by both Optimus and his mate Mirage.

After the meeting was adjourned, Optimus handed the little ones off to Mirage and went back to work while the Mirage went back home to watch over the sparklings. Now Optimus would deal with Bulldozer. Optimus headed to his parents' place first. Ironhide smiled and welcomed the Prime inside. "I am here to speak with Bumblebee on a very important matter" Optimus stated.

"Okay, I will get him. Bee, please come, the Prime wishes to speak with you" Hide called and bee soon came forward.

"You wished to see me, sir?" Bee answered, knowing the Prime was his brother but also knowing it was important to address the Prime as Prime until dictated otherwise.

"Yes, Bee. I need to understand about the dynamics between you and Bulldozer" Optimus stated.

"That bully?" Bee answered, not even thinking. He didn't like his bully. He didn't like the fact that the bully made fun of his size.

Optimus wasn't entirely surprised by Bee's reaction. "Please, talk to me" Optimus stated, willing to listen to what bee had to say. Bee just opened up and let everything out about what had happened between himself and his bully. Optimus listened as Bee went on. Hide was shocked by what he heard, as was Orion who was in another room but still listening.

"I finally got relief when Peacekeeper and Flasher helped me out" Bee stated at the end. "Please don't harm Bulldozer, as I don't want him hurt. I just want him to understand."

Optimus nodded. "I will go speak with Bulldozer and see if he will listen, now." And with that Optimus left. As a brother, he felt like beating the bot up a bit, but as Prime, he knew he had to be fair. Now he just had to see how sorry the bot really was and go from there.


	61. Chapter 61

After talking with Bumblebee and a couple other minibots that Bee had mentioned had faced a similar situation with Bulldozer, Optimus went to the brig where the bully had sat for the past week. Optimus was not too happy with what he had learned that the bot had done and said to those who were smaller in stature than Bulldozer. Optimus, knowing he was larger than most bots, went to talk to the bully in the brig.

Optimus was immediately granted entry to the area where Bulldozer was being held for his misdeeds. Bulldozer was not liking this, as he had been left down here far longer than he had expected, as he had figured the Prime was bluffing about punishing those who hurt others. Bulldozer was learning things the hard way. "So it is my understanding that you choose to harass those who are smaller in stature than you are?" Optimus asked, towering over Bulldozer.

Bulldozer looked up, not expecting the Prime to be so big, as Keeper hadn't quite grown as tall as his father just yet, but would soon get there. "No…No sir" Bulldozer stated, backing away, now seeing he wasn't always the biggest bot around.

"That is not what I have been informed of. Many bots, especially minibots and those whose stature is smaller than yours have reported that you repeatedly harass them when they have done nothing to you" Optimus stated, his battle mask up for full effect. He wanted Bulldozer to learn from this. Bulldozer saw no way out of this and said nothing, his lowering of his helm admitting his guilt. "Why do you not see that we are all created different for good reason? Every bot has a purpose, as Primus doesn't create junk."

Bulldozer thought over these things that Optimus had said. Bulldozer realized that Peacekeeper, Flasher, and Optimus all outsized most bots on the base, but all three were well respected. He didn't realize until now that they were well respected because they treated others as they wished to be treated – with dignity and respect regardless of differences. "I…I was wrong, sir" Bulldozer admitted, "and I am sorry."

"Apology is accepted, but it is not I that you should be apologizing to. You need to apologize to those you have hurt and show them that you have changed" Optimus stated. He was always willing to give a second chance to those who saw the errors in their ways, but he also made it so that when they did, they fixed what they could as a result of the fallout from their errors.

"I realize that, sir. But I am unable to apologize to those I hurt while I am still in the brig, locked up until you give the command" Bulldozer stated.

"I will release you on one condition" Optimus stated, giving Bulldozer hope, "You must seek out those you hurt, meaningfully apologize to them and show them that you have changed. IT won't be easy, but it is the only way I will allow you to be released. And I want a report every couple of weeks on your progress so that I can help guide you as you change."

Bulldozer was in a bit of awe. He had never had someone offer to guide him. He had grown up on his own, his parents both dying at the end of the war, and he had been hurt as he felt alone. He had developed a rough side as he didn't' want to be hurt again. "You…You would really be willing to help guide me through this change?" Bulldozer asked, his tough side starting to crack.

"I would help, but you have to do the hard work. I would be a resource for you to help you become a more productive bot" Optimus stated, his voice speaking the truth.

"Then I accept the offer, sir. I will try my best to become a better bot, sir" Bulldozer stated.

Optimus nodded. "Then I will tell the guard to release you. Your first bot to visit should be Bumblebee" Optimus stated as he left.

Bulldozer didn't' know why Optimus had told him to visit Bee first, but if that was what the Prime ordered, he would do it. Optimus left the area, and as he left the area, he told the guard to release Bulldozer. After Optimus left, the guard did as instructed by Optimus. And seeing that Optimus had kept his word, Bulldozer realized the trust that was placed in him and kept to his word and the first bot he went to look for was Bumblebee.

Bee, not knowing his bully had been released as Optimus had not said anything yet, was in the library reading up on something that interested the yellow bot. As he was reading the data pad, Bee could see over the top of the data pad that a bot who looked like Bulldozer was coming into the area. Bee was worried and he tried not to show it.

Bulldozer sighed when he spotted Bee in the library, as he knew that they would not be allowed to talk in there, as it was an area to be quiet. Bulldozer carefully approached Bee. "I would like to talk with you in private, if you have the time" Bulldozer whispered to Bee, so as not to disturb others who were reading.

"Why do you wish to speak with me, you bully" Bee asked back quietly.

Bulldozer sighed, and then answered softly, "I wish to apologize to you."

Bee was stunned. He hadn't expected that. Bee wasn't sure whether or not to trust the bully, but figuring it would help Bulldozer, bee agreed to leave his data pad behind and go talk with Bulldozer. Bulldozer let Bee lead the way and the discussion. Bulldozer got his chance to apologize to Bee and Bee expressed to Bulldozer why the things Bulldozer had done had hurt Bee so bad. It was only then that Bulldozer realized the effect his words had on others. Bee, seeing the bot had changed, agreed to help Bulldozer as well. Bulldozer was grateful as he knew others might not be as forgiving as Bee had been.


	62. Chapter 62

And as Bee was trying to teach bulldozer how to be friends with other bots, in the underground citadel of Vos, things had changed. Things were cleaned up a bit, but it had stopped as the seekers were expecting their broods to come forth. The grounder bots who were there weren't trained medics, but they tried to help as they could.

The seekers Artic Cat and Tuner were a bit worried as Slugbug and his twin had suddenly appeared, as the two had forgotten what Krypto had told them when they left. "Fear not, my friends, our arrival brings good news" Slugbug stated, and then the pain hit the two mechs. Snow tried to help his mate while Spinner tried to help her mate, even though both Spinner and Snow were also preparing to spark their own little ones.

Artic was amazed, as now he remembered that these two would arrive at the precise time his sparklings were to come. "You… you really came" Artic stated, as he hadn't been too sure on believing them.

"Yes, when and where Primus sends us, we go" Slugbug explained. The other seekers were just relieved to have the medic there.

Artic felt the urge to push and went with it. At the same time, Tuner felt it as well. Both were ready to pop out sparklings that were not related to their mate, as these had come from another bot to preserve more various data codes. Spinner could feel her need to push slow, as could Snow and both seemed to understand what that meant – their mates needed them first. It wasn't long before both Artic and Tuner popped out three seekerlings each, but before the parents could hold them, Krypto and Bug scanned the little ones. Krypto stated they were healthy. Bug verified that these little ones were just like him, portals for Primus. The seekers were amazed.

"What shall we name them?" Artic asked his mate.

"Well, since we had three mechs how about Searcher, Hunter, and Pursuer?" Snow asked, not sure exactly where those names came from, but Artic did – from Primus.

"I like them."

"And ours?" Spinner asked her mate Tuner.

"Well, since we had three femme seekers how about Fisher, Peace, and Harmony?" Tuner suggested, having a feeling where those names were from.

"Agreed" Spinner stated, nuzzling her mate. Bug smiled and since his part of this was over, he vanished.

"Where did Slugbug go?" Another seeker asked, puzzled to how fast Bug had left the scene.

"He went home to the underground base. His job with this sparking is complete now, but I remain as I am a seeker medic and I will help you all spark" Krypto stated, much to the rest of the seekers' relief.

"I have never met a bot who can come and go the way Bug does" Spinner stated.

"Being a portal for Primus gives him unique abilities that only Primus can activate when Primus needs them" Krypto explained. "These six who are also portals will have the same kind of abilities."

All the seekers nodded. And slowly, each was getting ready to spark the little ones that had been developing inside of them.

Meanwhile, back at the base, Optimus was returning to his usual role and was making decisions, reading reports, and doing other things like he had been doing them the whole time. He hadn't missed too much as Jazz had made sure to keep the Prime informed of all that was going on, with the exception of a couple of small things, like Bulldozer having been left in the brig for a week. Optimus fell back into his old routine, which while it was good for the other bots to see, it often meant Mirage was left on his own to take care of all the little ones, though thankfully, the younglings helped as much as possible.

Elsewhere in the underground base, Bulldozer was still trying to make amends for what he had done. Bumblebee was helping him, but it still didn't make things easier. Bee's presence at least allowed Bulldozer to have an audience with the bots he had hurt, but the rest was up to Bulldozer. He apologized to all those he had hurt, and while some were forgiving, others were not. Bulldozer wasn't sure what to do, and when he was alone with bee, he asked.

"What should I do?" Bulldozer asked, seeking bee's help.

"About what?" Bee asked, not sure what Bulldozer was seeking advice on.

"Those who are unwilling to forgive me even after I apologized" Bulldozer stated.

"All you can do is change who you are and how you approach other bots. Those who are unwilling to forgive only hurt themselves."

"Really?" Bulldozer asked, not quite understanding.

"It is said not forgiving others is like drinking bad energon yourself and expecting the other bot to be hurt" Bee explained, having heard the phrase from his mother many times.

That made sense to Bulldozer now. "Wow. I guess I never thought of it that way" Bulldozer stated.

"Forgiveness is important. But so is treating others as we wish to be treated ourselves" Bee stated, wanting to remind Bulldozer of other important things. "We are not all created the same for good reason. Can you imagine how boring life would be if we were all the exact same?"

Bulldozer thought about it. In his own processor, he saw a world of strictly him and all bots that looked and acted like him and noticed how boring it was. "You are right, Bee" Bulldozer stated, starting to become a better bot.

Bee just smiled. "Your creators didn't teach you much, did they?" Bee asked, having no idea the can of worms he was opening.

"My creators were killed in the war and no one else wanted to take me in. I was left as an orphan, and I had to learn how to raise myself without any guidance" Bulldozer revealed.

Bee was saddened to hear that. No wonder Bulldozer didn't understand about the things he had done. "Tell you what, how about you and I be friends?" Bee asked, extending the olive branch of friendship.

Bulldozer, for one of the first times in a long time, smiled. "I'd like that… friends" Bulldozer stated, shaking Bee's extended hand. Bee was relieved. He just hoped that the friendship could help Bulldozer be a better bot.


	63. Chapter 63

And even as Bee was helping Bulldozer make friends and Krypto was helping the Seekers from the underground Citadel of Vos spark, Mirage was preparing to spark, but everyone had seemed to forget that he was sparked. With the seekers sparking and Optimus finally returning to work, the fact that Mirage was heavily sparked and watching all the little ones seemed to be lost on all except the younglings of Mirage and Optimus. True, Krypto was elsewhere, but Flasher, Peacekeeper, and Slugbug were with Mirage.

Mirage was trying to rest while the other three watched their siblings, each feeling bad for their mother. "You know, Mom needs more help" Flasher stated, happy to help but knowing it wasn't enough.

"I agree, but he dares not ask for it" Peacekeeper stated, feeding one of the newest little ones that their father had just sparked.

"Why won't he ask?" Slugbug asked his brothers, not sure why Mirage wouldn't ask for help.

"He tried before, and all the bots he commed either were unable to help or refused to help" Keeper explained.

"Still, dad should be helping out some" Flasher retorted.

"Dad has a very demanding job, Flasher, and we need to give him some space" Keeper stated, showing the wisdom he already possessed even at this young age.

"But still. How come no one is around checking on mom. It's like dad sparked, dad went back to work and then all forgot that mom is sparked too" Flasher answered. Bug looked at the two. He wasn't sure how to answer their questions.

Then all three heard a painful groan coming from the back berthroom where their mom was resting. Keeper was unable to go as he was still feeding the little one, but Flasher and Slugbug went. They all had a feeling what was happening.

When they arrived in the room, their mother was covered in oil, as his oil had broken but the sparklings were refusing to come out. Mirage was in agony, but too weak to ask for help. He saw his sons at the door and flashed a painful smile before weakly trying to push the precious little ones out. Flasher ran to his mother's side while Slugbug tried to comm any available medic. First Aid ignored Bug and so did Ratchet. Slugbug was not happy. Bug knew Kryptonight was busy or bug would have commed his twin. All Bug could do was pray that Primus guide Bug in this.

Meanwhile, in the office buried deep in reports that had come in, Optimus felt something was off, but he had pushed it aside, as he had a lot of reports to catch up on. He pulsed love to his mate and continued to work, unaware of just how dire of straights his mate was in.

Back in the berthroom, Mirage was struggling. Flasher looked to Bug. "I guess it is up to you, me, and Primus, as no one else seems to want to help" Flasher stated indignantly. He hated the times his mother was treated like this. And the bot Flasher was most upset with was his father, Optimus.

With guidance from Primus and a few from his twin, Slugbug was able to carefully help Mirage spark the twins that had been growing inside him. They were pale in color and not looking good. Mirage was also very weak. "Flasher, I am going to need you to carry mom while I carry the sparklings to the med bay. Keeper ought to be able to keep things under control until we get back" Bug stated, and neither Flasher nor keeper argued with Bug.

Flasher ran as fast as he could to the med bay, still angry that no one had bothered to come check on his mother or help his mother in any way. When Flasher arrived with the weakened Mirage, both Ratchet and Aid came racing over. "What the hell happened to him?" Ratchet demanded to know.

Slugbug soon brought the little ones in who were barely online. "He sparked two precious sparklings, but no one would answer my comms to come immediately to help him spark. You better hope you can save these little ones and Mirage, or we not only lose them, we lose our Prime" Slugbug stated, upset with the medics as well.

Aid and Ratchet felt awful, as they should have. They shouldn't have ignored the comms that Bug had made. Bug watched as the two went to work trying to save the three bots who were in peril. And as Flasher kept a watch on Mirage and the new little ones, Bug tried to comm their busy father.

"Slugbug to Optimus, come in Optimus" Bug stated, using his father's name, as he hoped this would get him a response from his father.

"Optimus here, go ahead Slugbug" Optimus stated, responding like he was about to receive an important report.

"You have two seconds to get you aft to the med bay" Slugbug stated, not mincing his words.

Optimus was stunned by that reply. "Who are you to tell me what to do, Slugbug?" Optimus asked, perturbed that the bot he had taken in as a son was now defying him. Optimus had no idea what he had just triggered in the bot he had adopted as a son.

Primus took over his portal's body, as this had gone far enough. "Optimus Prime, your mate is on the verge of life and death as are you precious sparklings that he was carrying. Are you so busy that you could care less about your own family and them not making it? Because I could easily call them and you home" Primus answered the defiant Prime.

Optimus didn't know how to respond to that, as he had forgotten Bug had that special ability. He had also forgotten that Mirage was sparked just like the Prime had been. Optimus realized where he really needed to be. "On my way" Optimus stated and he raced to the med bay, hoping and praying that Mirage and the precious sparklings would make it.


	64. Chapter 64

Optimus moved quickly towards the med bay, feeling absolutely awful about this whole thing. He cursed himself for being too busy to even take note of his mate or family. He soon reached the med bay, but wasn't prepared for what he saw when he got there.

Upon entering, Slugbug and Flasher were standing by Mirage, who was out cold. Neither looked happy, and it showed. In fact, Flasher looked down right pissed off. Bug was harder to read his emotion, but Optimus could feel the small bot was no happier than Flasher about this whole thing. "You will be lucky if they live" Flasher stated, not realizing if they lost their mother they would also lose their father.

"How long ago did he spark them?" Optimus asked, feeling even worse now, as both his mate and their newest little ones were fighting for their lives.

"Oh, about four hours ago. We tried to get a hold of somebody, anybody for that matter, but not even the medics would come nor you" Flasher stated, emphasis on the "you." Optimus looked down, as that was about the time he had felt the pulses from his mate. He hadn't thought to comm and ask Mirage about what was going on, Optimus just sent pulses back feeling the work the Prime had to catch up on took priority. Now Optimus realized how awful that decision had been.

"Where are the little ones?" Optimus finally managed to ask.

"Ratchet and Aid are trying to save them, as mom sparked them at home with no help from a medic" Bug mentioned.

"WHAT?" Optimus asked, not realizing that not even Krypto had been home at the time. "Where is Kryptonight?"

"He is at the underground citadel of Vos helping the sparked seekers there spark their seekerlings" Bug answered. Optimus was stunned into silence, feeling the only thing he could do now was pulse love to his mate and hope and pray the little ones survived.

"He loves you, dad, but sometimes I think you take that for granted" Flasher stated. Flasher had seen it too many times, though Optimus hadn't realized it till now.

"I can take you to see the little ones" Bug said, wanting to show Optimus the new little ones. Optimus merely nodded and allowed himself to be led into the special area. There, in a specially made berth, the two small twins were fighting for life with Ratchet and Aid trying their best to save the little ones. Hoping it would help, Optimus reached out with his spark to the little ones. Instantly, he felt their own little sparks connect with his. And in doing so, the connection seemed to save the little ones in a way that the medics never would have been able to do so. When Ratchet observed the change, he turned around and saw Bug and Optimus, though Optimus looked very humbled.

"How are they ratchet?" Optimus managed to ask.

"You precious daughters will be fine" Ratchet stated.

"Daughters? I though Mirage was having mechs, or was I mistaken?" Optimus asked.

"The scanners aren't always correct in reading while the little ones are in the development chamber. Sometimes, we scan and think they are mechs when they are femmes and vice versa" Ratchet explained. Optimus nodded.

"Do they have names yet?" Optimus asked.

"No, Mirage wasn't able to name them."

Optimus looked at the precious femmes. Both resembled Mirage heavily except in coloration, which was more like a softer tone of his coloration. "I think your names should be Sweet Pea and Honeysuckle" Optimus stated, earning a coo from both, though it sounded a bit weak, causing Optimus a bit of concern.

"Will they be ok?" Optimus asked, worried about the little ones and Mirage.

"I think the little femmes will be fine. I am more concerned about Mirage" Ratchet revealed. "His spark is giving off some scary readings."

"What do you mean by that?" Optimus asked, feeling them but not understanding.

"If you are not careful, Optimus, he may feel rejected and then we will lose him…and you" Ratchet revealed. And as if Optimus hadn't felt bad enough already, now he felt even worse. "I think he needs to know that he is loved, wanted and accepted. Not only by you and the sparklings, but also by other family members and friends."

Optimus nodded as nothing he could say would make this right or any better. He needed to show that he cared. And seeing that for now, the twins were safe and sound, Optimus headed back to Mirage, who was still being watched by Flasher.

"I will take over here, Flasher. Thank you for all your help. Please help your twin at home, as I know your mother's first concern would be all the little ones at home" Optimus told Flasher. Flasher, though not wanting to leave his mother's side, realized his father was right and headed for home to help Keeper with the little ones.

And after Flasher left, and while in the private area with Mirage, Optimus shed energon tears as he talked about precious and loving memories with Mirage, hoping that it would bring Mirage back to him. Optimus talked of happy moments, silly moments, and moments that had brought them both closer together after a tough time. Optimus even talked about how they first met, which was a story very, very few bots knew. Ratchet tried not to listen, but was amazed when he heard how the two had met in the slums before Optimus became Optimus. It was a sweet tale that had ended in happiness.

And while Optimus was in the med bay with Mirage, Flasher went home to help, but Slugbug went to talk with Wingspan, Prowl, and Jazz as those three were precious bots to Mirage, but none of them had been willing to help out when Mirage needed help. Slugbug planned to talk to Orion and Hide after he made sure Prowl, Jazz and Wingspan were read the riot act about not helping when Mirage needed it most.


	65. Chapter 65

Though out of it, Mirage listened as Optimus spoke. Mirage heard how warm and loving Optimus' voice was as he talked about all these precious memories. Mirage also felt the warm pulses in his spark. Mirage realized that Optimus was trying to reach out to him. Mirage responded by pulsing love back. Optimus smiled when he felt the pulses, as he knew that meant he had reached out to his mate in time.

Meanwhile, back at the quarters, Flasher and Keeper were helping with their siblings. Krypto and Bug had not yet returned, but Keeper and Flasher knew what to do even without the other two. "I hope this experience makes dad think" Flasher stated, after he and keeper had gotten the others taken care of.

"Use your words carefully, Flasher. For we don't understand what dad goes through as Prime. First, he led through war and now through a time of rebuilding. He has much responsibility on his shoulders as Prime" Keeper tried to remind his twin.

"But he ignored Mom!" Flasher retorted, not happy with his twin's reply.

"Flasher, dad wasn't intentionally ignoring mom. You need to start seeing the whole picture" Keeper replied, as he was a bot who rarely got angry, though the rare times he did, it rivaled his father's anger.

Flasher sighed. Keeper was right in a sense, but still mom had been hurt. "I just don't like seeing mom hurt."

"I don't either, Flasher. But dad isn't the only bot around who could help. We have other family" Keeper stated, not sure why none of them had been around recently but figured they were busy.

"Yes, and I just returned from talking to them" Slugbug stated, having just come in the door and butting into the conversation.

"And what did they have to say for themselves?" Flasher asked, still acting a bit juvenile.

"Knock it off Flasher, listen to what Bug has to say" Keeper stated, training to reign in his twin.

"They all felt bad about not being there when needed. They also told me that they had things going on in their own families or they would have helped more" Bug explained. Keeper nodded while Flasher left to blow off steam.

Bug just watched as Flasher left. "Give him space, Bug. He's a bit of a mama's boy and so this is really hitting him hard" Keeper explained. Bug just nodded and went to help Keeper with things around the quarters.

Meanwhile, at the underground Citadel of Vos, Krypto's job was almost complete. There was only one sparked seeker left to spark – Snow Cat. Artic was with his mate and their first three sparklings as he waited patiently for Snow to spark. Having been sparked before, Snow was ready when the time came.

"Alright, Snow, when you feel the urge, push" Krypto stated. He was tired, but he knew this was the last seeker to spark and then he could head home.

"Ok" was all Snow got out before he gave a big push. It didn't take long for the first seekerling, a mech, to come forth. Artic smiled and pulsed love. Snow smiled a slightly pained smile as he prepared to push out the next one. The second seekerling soon came forth followed by the third. Both were mechs and all three of these mech seekerlings looked like a blend of Snow and Artic. Both smiled, though Snow's smile was tired looking.

"You did wonderful, love" Artic stated, supporting his mate.

Snow snuggled into the hug. "We still need to name them."

"That we do, but we can do that after you rest" Artic stated and snow nodded before drifting off into recharge.

"They are all healthy, as is Snow Cat" Krypto stated to Artic.

"Thank you Kryptonight, for all of your help" Artic stated.

"You can call me Krypto if you wish and you are welcome" Krypto stated.

Artic nodded. "Do you know of any other seeker medics, Krypto?" Artic asked.

"I am not aware of any other seekers being medics other than myself, but if you have someone interested or a seekerling that wants to be a medic, comm me and I will train them, along with Ratchet."

"Ratchet? But he's a grounder" Artic replied. He didn't have a thing against grounders, he just didn't know if they knew enough to treat a seeker.

"He is the best medic there is, seeker or grounder, and he trained me in. Hence, anyone I train in would be trained by myself and him" Krypto explained.

"That makes sense now that you say that" Artic stated, as he had seen how good a medic Krypto was thanks to Ratchet and with that the two parted ways and Krypto headed for home.

Meanwhile, out in space, Starscream was not happy that his last attempt to show strength had failed and he was reaming out those who had failed him, much like Megatron had done to other bots. The difference was, Starscream was far more dangerous as he was far less stable in the sanity department than Megatron had been. TC and Warp were the only bots that seemed to be able to keep Starscream from going too insane. Starscream ranted and raved and he began to think up another plan, one he hoped would work.

Back in the underground base, Optimus was stunned in the med bay as Wingspan stopped by. "Wingspan, what on Cybertron are you doing here?" Optimus asked, unaware of what Slugbug had done.

"Stopping by to visit Mirage. I heard things were a bit rough, but I didn't realize it was this bad" Wingspan innocently said.

"Who told you things were bad?" Optimus asked, wondering where that had come from.

"Slugbug read Jazz, Prowl, and I the riot act after he and Flasher couldn't find help when Mirage sparked this time. I came to see how I could help" Wingspan stated.

"Slugbug read you three the riot act?" Optimus asked, having never heard of Bug doing such a thing.

"He did. And I think he did to Hide and Orion as well. I can understand, I guess. Mirage needed help and Bug and Flasher couldn't find anyone willing to help. Even I was guilty of being unwilling to help as I thought Mirage had more time before he would spark" Wingspan stated.

Optimus just nodded as he had also been just as guilty. "I just hope he comes back to us and can see how much he is loved, wanted, and accepted" Optimus stated.

"You and me both, Prime" Wingspan stated, unaware his visit would help Mirage come around faster. "Please update me with any changes."

"Will do, Spanner" Optimus stated with a smile and Wingspan left. Optimus now could feel that Mirage had sensed Wingspan. Optimus hoped that was a good thing.


	66. Chapter 66

Meanwhile, having been unaware of the goings on and seeming to have been forgotten, Illusion, Mirage's twin, made his way to the med bay. He was going there to get checked out as he thought he either had a virus or was possibly sparked. Little did he know what he would find out when he got to the med bay.

Illusion walked carefully towards the med bay, as he really didn't feel that well. He hoped Ratchet or Aid would be able to tell him what was wrong. Little did he realize that part of the feeling was due to Mirage being out of it.

Illusion soon entered the med bay. He looked around, trying to find Ratchet or Aid, and instead ended up finding Mirage. "MIRAGE?!" Illusion asked loudly in concern, startling Optimus a bit. Sadly, most had forgotten to keep Illusion informed. "What is going on here?"

"Mirage sparked, Illusion" Optimus stated, thinking Illusion was more aware than he was.

"He what? He sparked? How come no one told me?" Illusion asked.

"What do you mean?" Optimus asked, thinking Bug had read the riot act to all the family that had refused to help. Illusion hadn't refused, he hadn't known anything about what was going on. Of course, having been off the base and at a construction site to visit Buster for a bit may have explained that.

"I haven't been on the base for a few months, as I was visiting Buster's site along with our sparklings. No one told us that Mirage was sparked or needed any assistance" Illusion explained.

Optimus now felt even worse, as not only was Mirage still out of it, Mirage's twin Illusion had also been left completely uninformed. Slowly and carefully, Optimus started from the beginning and updated Illusion on all the bot had missed regarding Optimus, Mirage, and their precious sparklings. Needless to say, Illusion wasn't happy when he heard about how no one had come to help his twin. Illusion read Optimus the riot act right then and there, unaware that Mirage sensed Illusion's presence and felt the twin connection. "I'm sorry" was all Optimus could offer after being read the riot act.

"Don't tell me, tell him" Illusion added, pulsing brotherly love along the twin bond the two shared.

"I have told him, many times. I love him so much. And Primus has told me, if he goes, I go" Optimus revealed.

"You need to show him you love him, Optimus" Illusion stated, having no problem putting the Prime in his place.

"I am trying to" Optimus responded.

"He is trying to come back to you, Optimus" Illusion revealed. "Don't give up."

"I won't" Optimus stated, pulsing love along the bond he shared with Mirage. What neither knew was that the pulsing of love form both and the crossing of it over Mirage's spark would finally help Mirage to come back online.

"I need to see Ratchet. I'll stop by again later" Illusion stated, and he soon headed to another area of the med bay.

Optimus nodded and continued talking with Mirage and pulsing love. Slowly, very slowly, Mirage started coming to. The first indication was a soft groan that Mirage let out. He was still in pain but it was less than it had been. Optimus focused more attention on his mate, hoping that this was only the start of things to come.

Slowly, Mirage's optics started to flicker a bit before staying on. Mirage didn't feel very good, but he knew he was online. "Be…loved…is that you?" Mirage softly whispered.

Optimus was barely able to hear it, but hear it he did. "Yes, my sweet. It's me. I am so sorry I wasn't there for you when you needed me" Optimus stated.

"You…are… here now" Mirage softly replied, trying to get his hand up to touch Optimus' face. Optimus softly took his mate's hand and placed it where Mirage had wanted it to go. The soft touch meant the world to both Optimus and Mirage. Mirage then noticed his abdomen was flat. "Where..?" was as far as Mirage got before Optimus answered.

"You sparked them, love. Two precious femmes" Optimus replied.

"Femmes?" Mirage asked, as he had expected them to be mechs. Optimus explained what Ratchet had said about early scans not always being right about sparklings being mechs or femmes. Mirage then nodded. "Names?"

"Sweet Pea and Honeysuckle" Optimus stated.

Mirage smiled as those were beautiful names for the little ones. Mirage looked around for the two. "Where?"

"I'll bring them to you" Optimus stated and he left to go get the little ones, meeting Illusion on the way.

"I sense he has returned to us" Illusion mentioned as Optimus picked up the little ones.

"Yes he has. Are you feeling better?" Optimus asked.

"I am. I have learned I am sparked again" Illusion stated with a smile.

"Then let us go together to see Mirage as he would love to hear your news along with seeing his new little ones" Optimus stated. Illusion nodded and he went with Optimus to see Mirage.

Mirage smiled brightly when he saw not only his sparklings but also his twin. Mirage was still a bit weak, but he was getting stronger. "Good to see you back with us, bro" Illusion said.

"Good… to be back" Mirage answered.

"And here are the precious little ones" Optimus stated, showing off the precious femmes he carefully held. Mirage smiled at the sight. The little femmes were so pretty and sweet. Mirage felt that they had been given the perfect names, but being weakened, he pulsed love to his mate first and then Illusion.

"Rest, brother. I will let the rest of the family know you are awake but not to have too many come to see you at once" Illusion stated. Mirage smiled in appreciation.

"Thank you for your help, Illusion" Optimus stated, grateful for what had been done and what Illusion was planning on doing.

"You are welcome. All I ask is that next time, you don't leave me in the dark" Illusion added.

"We will do our best to keep all family informed" Optimus stated. Illusion nodded and headed off, as that was all he could expect and ask for. The best news, though, was that Mirage was back online.


	67. Chapter 67

Meanwhile, at each construction site, citadels were being rebuilt and various bots were starting to inhabit the newly rebuilt citadels. Most bots were extremely happy to move out of the underground base, though the Prime had decided to keep it just in case there was a need, as all knew not all of the former cons had been captured or killed. When one site was finished, the construction crew would move on to the next dilapidated citadel to help rebuild it as the war had destroyed practically every citadel on the surface of Cybertron, no above ground citadel had remained standing thanks to the war. The underground Citadel of Vos looked better than most of the destroyed above ground citadels, but even it needed repairs.

Optimus Prime, now back at the helm of all Cybertron, made sure progress was made, or if there was a lack of progress, he expected explanations and plans to fix the issue or issues. He was a fair and honest Prime, which many of the older bots who had survived the war and knew the Primes from before were happy with. Optimus made sure no citadel started the old caste system, as he had outlawed it. Optimus wanted bots to be free to choose their destiny, not be born into one life and never experience anything else. Since it was widely known that Optimus, before being named Prime, had been a pleasure bot in the lowest class of the system, the outlawing of the system made sense. And Optimus reviewed each citadel's citadel regulations to make sure that they did not allow what the Prime had forbidden.

Though Optimus had forbidden the old caste system, a few bots at various citadels tried to re-start it. Optimus quickly put a stop to those and the bots who tried to implement the old system ended up in the brig at the underground base. Bots were learning that Optimus really meant it when he wanted the old system gone. And most were happy about it, and were grateful that Optimus had kept his word about not restarting it.

Optimus was also informed that the headquarters of the Prime for Cybertron were coming along, after the rest of the citadel had been completed. Optimus was happy to hear that things were going well and was glad that bots had waited to do where he would reside last, as his first concern was those who lived and served under him. Optimus only hoped that Mirage would like the place once it was ready.

And as progressed continued, Starscream grew more and more sour about the changes he was seeing. He and his small posse made seemingly random attacks here or there, but each time they were thwarted in their efforts to stop the rebuilding of Cybertron. The problem was, Starscream was absolutely obsessed with taking Cybertron back for the Decepticons and his rage was uncontrollable. However, none of those who helped him dare challenge his leadership as they knew he would have no problem putting an end to their existence. Starscream remained on the moon he had chosen for his base, planning for the next attack, hoping each time, he would finally be able to shine where Megatron had failed – getting rid of the Prime. In Starscream's mind, it was only a matter of time.

Back on Cybertron, bots were seemingly living again in relative peace, though most knew that attacks were possible as it had been passed through to all Autobots and neutrals to be aware of the few remained Cons on the loose that may try and attack. Each citadel was built to be like a base/fortress to protect all those who resided within them. Bots worked hard and their efforts were paying off as it appeared that Cybertron was returning to almost how it had been during the golden age.

In each Citadel, Optimus had a place built as a sort of youth center. It was created as a temporary place for lost or given up sparklings and younglings but with the understanding that the bots taken into the center would be placed with a family as soon as possible. Optimus had wanted to have no such centers, but Mirage had reminded Optimus that if a bot wasn't able to care for a sparkling, the sparkling might be killed if there was no place to take it and allow it to have a better life. With wanting to protect sparklings and sparkling bearers, Optimus allowed there to be such centers, but they had regulations that no sparkling or youngling should be kept long term. All the centers that went up would abide by that law. Mirage even had it put in that should the center have difficulty placing a youngling or a sparkling, the Prime was to hear the case and decide how to handle the case. This way there was a place for bots to go and there was way to get them into a real home with a family who would love and raise them.

Orion was so proud of all that his son had accomplished since becoming the Prime over all transformers. Optimus, or little Orion Pax as he was known to his mother, had far outshined his mother in every aspect of life. And while Orion had never expected his son to be in this position, Orion had always hoped that Optimus would do better and go farther than Orion ever had. Orion was now seeing his prayer fulfilled. He was also seeing that the old system no longer applied. Orion was happy, for both himself and his son, as well as all the others who had suffered under the old caste system. Orion thanked Primus for all of this, as it was Primus who had done all this for them. Orion's only regret was that his second son, Megatron, had never really been loved and experience love and goodness before being slaughtered for peace. Orion knew it had to be the way it was, but it still did not make it easy.


	68. Chapter 68

It wasn't too much longer before the construction was completed on most citadels and bots were able to live freely on the surface of Cybertron, with the exception of those who dwelt in the underground citadel of Vos. Many bots were excited when they were able to witness Optimus and his family move into the Prime's "castle." Optimus was amazed by how big it was and how many bots turned out to see him and his family move into the place.

Optimus felt compelled to give a speech. He thanked all the bots who made this possible and said one other thing to those who had gathered. He let them know that just because he dwelt in this place didn't mean he was going to make himself inaccessible to those who lived under him and served under him. The bots were happy to hear that.

Once the speech was over, Optimus went inside, carrying several of his sparklings. Mirage had already had Keeper, Flasher, Bug, and Krypto carry many over as well. So, the last few sparklings were all the ones that Optimus was carrying. The older sparklings and younglings were amazed at this place.

"This place is enormous" Flasher stated as he studied it carefully and closely.

"It was built that way on purpose, bro" Keeper answered before Optimus could respond. "Often times Primes are the biggest bots and have the biggest families, so this was built like this for that reason."

"But that doesn't mean we can think of ourselves as any better than those who live outside these wall" Optimus reminded his sons.

"Precisely. They need to be treated with kindness and respect" Mirage added, still trying to teach all their brood.

"We realize that, mom and dad" Flasher stated.

Keeper sighed, he felt like he constantly needed to remind his twin of a few things. "Flasher, another you need to remember, that unless dad okays it and especially in public, we do not refer to dad as dad but sir" Keeper reminded his twin, as Flasher had a habit of slipping up at times, especially in public and in front of other bots.

"That is going to be a bit harder" Flasher admitted, as he never thought of his dad as Prime but just as dad. Flasher knew his twin was right. Keeper noticed Flasher felt bad and gave his twin a hug. "I will try to remember that."

"that is all I ask" Keeper replied, wanting to encourage his twin as they adjusted to all this newness around them.

"Boys, I want you to know that it will take time for all of us to adjust to this, so don't feel bad if you don't get it right away" Optimus stated, hugging the twins. Both hugged back, happy to be around their father. "By the way, where are Slugbug and Kryptonight?"

"Krypto is working in the newly created and opened med bay while Slugbug was taken by Primus to visit the far side of the planet" Mirage informed his mate. Optimus nodded. And while he never quite understood those twins as well as some of his other sparklings, he loved them nonetheless. He still considered them his sparklings no matter what.

Meanwhile, Optimus had assigned a few bots to maintain the underground base just in case it was ever needed. The bots worked hard and had chosen to remain living underground for the most part as it was easier to keep the maintenance up. Optimus made sure that those who remained there had all that they needed to live and maintain the area.

And Elsewhere, Prowl and Jazz were happy to move above ground with their brood and so were Orion and his mate Ironhide. In fact, the two couples had decided to live not too far from each other in the same citadel where the Prime resided. Bee and Wingspan helped their older pairs to bring all the little ones up to the new places. Jazz, Prowl, Orion, and Hide appreciated the help. The only difference was that wingspan and his mate found their own place with their small family while Bee was still young and lived with Orion and Hide.

Meanwhile, on the far side of the planet, the underground citadel of Vos and its sister citadel were filling with new bots, both flyers and grounders. Artic Cat welcomed all who came to the underground Citadel of Vos while his counterpart welcomed those who came to the sister citadel. Artic was especially excited to see the two single femmes that had been in suspended animation return and return with mates. He was happy for them.

"See, we told you that you would find love" Artic said to them.

They smiled. "That we did" one of the two replied before both families moved into places next door to each other.

Meanwhile, Illusion was trying to keep up with Buster and the sparklings, as Buster seemed to move from site to site as well as not stay in one citadel very long. Illusion didn't like it, as it meant he had to uproot the sparklings each and every time. Buster sensed that Illusion was getting frustrated.

"Talk to me, love" Buster asked, seeing that Illusion was pretty quiet.

"About what?" Illusion answered, a bit sharper than he meant to.

"About what seems to be bothering you" Buster stated, standing back a bit.

Illusion sighed. "Is it that obvious?" Illusion asked to which Buster nodded. "Well…I am unhappy"

"Why are you so unhappy?" Buster asked, a bit stunned.

"Because we have no place to call our own. You settle for a short time and then you move again. I have to uproot our sparklings and start all over again in a new citadel. It is frustrating, as you are rarely around and you don't want to listen to what I have to say most of the time" Illusion stated bluntly. He had had enough.

Buster was caught a bit off guard. He hadn't expected his mate to say that. Buster scanned his previous schedules and had found what Illusion said to be true. Buster felt lost as he didn't know what to do now. He just hoped he could be reassigned somewhere by Prime and stay there with his family.


	69. Chapter 69

Buster knew what he needed to do. He needed to comm Prime and ask for a more stationary assignment, preferably near family. He wasn't looking forward to making this request, but he knew he had to make it. "Buster to Prime, come in Prime" Buster commed, hoping Optimus would respond and would have such an opportunity.

"Prime here, go ahead Buster" Optimus replied, a bit surprised to hear from the bot.

"Well, I was hoping that there was some way I could get an assignment where my family and I could be more stationary. I have enjoyed the opportunity of going from site to site, but the constant moving is tearing my family apart" Buster revealed.

"I think we can find something. Something where you still might travel for a few days every few months, but you would mostly be based out of Iacon" Optimus stated, as he knew he couldn't stop Buster from going to new sites, but he could make a better home base for buster to come home to.

"In Iacon, sir?" Buster asked, unaware of the significance of the citadel.

"Yes, as Iacon is where I am based as well as my family plus much of our extended family" Optimus stated.

"I will have to discuss it with Illusion for sure, but thank you for considering my request" Buster stated.

"I look forward to your reply and hope to see you and your family soon" Optimus stated before signing off.

Buster, relieved from what he had been told, went to talk to his mate. Thankfully, the little ones were sleeping. "Love?" Buster asked, softly approaching, knowing Illusion was still upset.

"What now?" Illusion answered, tired and frustrated by this whole thing.

"I…I spoke with Prime" Buster started to say.

"And now where are we moving to?" Illusion asked, slightly irked.

"Well, I explained things to him and he has offered me to stay in Iacon, with a few days traveling to nearby sites every few months. You could remain in Iacon while I am at those sites and then I would come back to Iacon, stay in Iacon and then to another site before coming back to Iacon again" Buster replied.

Illusion looked at his mate in disbelief. "Iacon? Move us all to Iacon? What the heck is there?" Illusion asked, so frustrated and tired he had forgotten.

"We would have family and friends there. Optimus told me that is the citadel that the Prime resides in and most of our relatives would be there as well" Buster answered, hoping this new information would help make Illusion feel better.

Illusion thought about what Buster stated. He and the sparklings would stay in one citadel while Buster occasionally traveled for a few days and they would be near friends and family. And then it dawned on Illusion – he knew of Iacon. He and his twin had been sparked there to their worthless creators. It had been so long since Illusion had lived in the citadel, but to find that they were welcome made Illusion smile. "I am glad you talked to Optimus" Illusion finally uttered after about 10 minutes of eerie silence.

"You… you are?" Buster asked, wanting to be sure.

"Yes, I am. And I think you should take this opportunity" Illusion stated, hugging his mate.

"You…you won't mind if I still have to travel a bit?" Buster asked.

"You will only be gone a few days at a time, the rest of the time you will be staying at home and I won't have to uproot the sparklings every few months. Also, we will be with friends and family so we can have time for us while they help with the little ones" illusion responded.

"I asked Optimus to give me some time to discuss this with you" Buster revealed.

"The you best comm him back immediately and say that you accept this position and opportunity" Illusion stated firmly.

Buster did as asked and commed Optimus once again. "Buster to Optimus, come in Optimus."

"Optimus here, have you made your decision yet, Buster?" Optimus asked over the comm, not realizing that Illusion was hearing all this as well.

"I have made my decision. And after discussing things with my mate, we have made the decision that I will accept your opportunity to return to Iacon and travel only a few days every few months" Buster stated.

"Excellent" Optimus stated, a smile evident in his voice. "AS soon as you are able to return to Iacon, please do so."

"Will do. Buster Over and out" Buster replied, ending the comm with Optimus.

Illusion just beamed. "We get to go home."

"Home?" Buster asked.

"Yes, you see, before my worthless creators were slaughtered and my twin and I were driven into the slums, my twin and I were sparked tower bots in Iacon" Illusion revealed. Buster nodded. He had forgotten that Illusion had mentioned that before. "Are you ok?" Illusion asked his mate.

"I am, and I am happy because you will be happy with this" Buster stated. Illusion hugged his mate and they packed things up, getting ready to move to Iacon, which was on the other side of the planet.

Meanwhile, Optimus went to his mate. "Mirage, I bring news" Optimus stated, seeing that Mirage was alone and that they were in private.

"What news do you bring?" Mirage asked, feeling a bit sad as he missed his twin.

"Buster has accepted an opportunity here in Iacon. He and his family will be moving here soon and will stay here even as Buster travels every once in a while" Optimus revealed.

"Buster and Illusion and their family is coming here to stay?" Mirage asked, trying to hide his excitement.

"Yes, and if I know them, they have already packed and are on their way" Optimus stated.

"I must tell Jazz and Wingspan this good news" Mirage stated, so excited to hear his brother was returning. Mirage hugged and kissed his mate before he went out and told Jazz and Wingspan the good news. All were eager to welcome Buster, Illusion, and their sparklings home.


	70. Chapter 70

Slowly and carefully, Buster and Illusion made their way back to Iacon, with their little ones in tow. The went slow for a couple of reasons – one was the sparklings and the other was that Buster's alt mode wasn't very fast. Illusion didn't mind the pace, as he knew that once they reached Iacon, they would be staying there permanently. The sparklings were usually the first to tire out during the trip. And so, many times, Illusion and Buster would carry them until they reached the next Citadel where they could rest for the night.

It was only now that Illusion saw the benefit of having moved so many times, as most of these citadels they had stayed in welcomed them back, even if it was just for the night. Illusion was grateful for the fact that he knew bots in each town, and Illusion promised to keep in touch even as he lived in Iacon. His close friends in each citadel appreciated it.

Soon would come morning, and the little family would head out again. Each day brought them closer and closer.

Meanwhile, in Iacon, Mirage was pacing. He had hoped that his twin and his twin's family would be here sooner.

"Patience, Mirage" Jazz stated warmly.

Mirage nodded. "I am trying to be patient, mom, but I haven't seen him in so long" Mirage replied.

"He will be here when he gets here. Remember, they are traveling with little ones. It will take time" Jazz reminded Mirage.

"I suppose you are right. It took Optimus and I several days to move in here and that is that far from the underground base. I can only imagine how far it is from the other side of the planet" Mirage stated.

"We are all looking forward to seeing him again" Wingspan mentioned, having just joined in the conversation.

Mirage smiled. "I am glad to know I am not the only one who misses him" Mirage said, glad to see Wingspan.

"We all miss him, Mirage" Jazz added.

"But it must be different when you two are twins, am I right?" Wingspan asked, seeming to know.

"In a way, yes and in a way, no. Yes because we have such a strong connection as brothers, but no as you guys are just as much family as I am. I think he missed all of us just as much" Mirage stated.

"Even Prowl?" Wingspan asked.

"Yes, Illusion may not show it or say it, but he really felt closest to Prowl once Jazz and Prowl adopted us" Mirage revealed, though it was only a shock to Wingspan.

"Yes, its true, Spanner. Mirage was always closer to me while his twin Illusion was closer to Prowl. That is just the way things worked out" Jazz explained.

Wingspan nodded. "Well, I was always closer to both of them" the seeker stated.

"Yes, you were, as both kept you safe as you grew up" Jazz stated.

The conversation continued about old memories of the three growing up and funny stories from the past. Soon, even Optimus joined in the conversation, learning some things he never knew about his mate, though little surprised the Prime.

And as they were talking, they looked out into the citadel, as they were all on the balcony of the Prime's "castle." In the distance, several bots seemed to be moving towards where the Prime resided.

"You think that is them?" Wingspan asked, starting to get excited.

"Anything is possible" Jazz answered.

"I think it is them!" Mirage stated, excitement in his voice.

"You two want to be the first to greet them?" Optimus asked, and got his answer when the two took off and went out to meet the approaching bots.

"We can walk down if you like, Prime" Jazz stated, happy to hear the return but in no need to rush down.

"I like that idea" Optimus stated, and walking at a normal pace, Jazz and Optimus headed down to the area where the bots were approaching.

Meanwhile, Buster and Illusion were exhausted as they were carrying their sparklings inside their alt modes. But when they saw Iacon ahead, they felt their second wind and began heading into the citadel, unaware that their approach had already been spotted by four bots, two overly eager to see them and two happy to see them return.

Before Illusion and Buster got too far into the citadel, Mirage and Wingspan just showed up right in front of them to greet them.

"BROTHER!" Mirage shouted happy to see his twin.

"Hey bro" Illusion sad, happy but tired.

"Long time no see" Wingspan added.

"We finally get to stay here" Buster answered.

Mirage and Wingspan were extremely happy to hear that. "We are glad you are able to once again call this place home" Mirage added, hugging his twin.

"Careful, bro, not too tight, as I am carrying a couple of our sparklings in me, as they were too tired to go any further" Illusion warned. Mirage made sure to hug his twin carefully, and then Wingspan hugged Illusion carefully.

And as hugs were going around, Optimus and Jazz showed up to greet the family. "It is wonderful to see you return and this time, stay" Optimus said.

"It is an honor to be back, Prime" Buster responded, glad to be back and receive such a wonderful welcome.

"Prowl and I have saved you a place, not too far from us" Jazz added, making Buster and Illusion smile.

"Thanks mom" Illusion said, happy to be back with his family and closest friends. "We are glad to be back, but if you will excuse us, we have some very tired sparklings to put in a berth and our stuff to put away."

"You are free to go. I just want Buster to report to me three days from now in the morning, so you get a chance to rest" Optimus stated, drawing relief out of Illusion and Buster.

"Thank you sir" Buster stated, happy to be heading to a permanent home.


	71. Chapter 71

Illusion and his mate were happy to be back with friends and family and they used the first couple of days back to put away items in their new dwelling and greet old friends and family that they had missed. Before they knew it, it was time for Buster to check in with Optimus. Buster went to meet up with Optimus.

"I came just as you asked, sir" Buster stated once he found Optimus.

"Glad to see you, Buster. I want to assign you as an overseer for all citadels in this area, to oversee any construction that is taking place" Optimus stated.

"Thank you for the opportunity and the chance to remain close to friends and family, sir" Buster stated, happy to hear what his new position was.

"I am glad that you were willing to accept this opportunity" Optimus stated, knowing Mirage had really missed being around his twin.

"It sounds like both our mates needed this for sanity's sake" Buster added.

"I would second that"" Optimus replied, smile behind his battle mask.

"I was glad to have the opportunity to get to know so many bots during that assignment, and I am glad that I will have a permanent place to come home to for this assignment" Buster stated, always trying to be optimistic.

Optimus just smiled. "You will start tomorrow morning, here in Iacon" Optimus stated.

"Thank you, sir" Buster replied. "May I go home and tell my mate the news sir?"

"Permission granted" Optimus stated and then Buster headed out.

Meanwhile, out in space, Starscream hated what he was seeing more and more. He set up raids and ran them as often as he felt he could without being attacked. He made sure his pattern was difficult to follow so that none of the Autobots would know where he would strike next. Starscream was enjoying these raids far too much, but he wasn't about to stop anytime soon.

Unknown to Starscream and his brothers, Artic Cat was talking with Stingray and Stunray about the attacks. "Why would they do such things?" Artic asked them, knowing that Starscream and his brothers were related to Stingray and Stunray.

"The only thing I can figure is that someone or something screwed with their programming before they could fully develop" Stingray stated.

"And they most likely were forced to grow up too fast" Stunray added.

"How can a bot be forced to grow up too quickly?" Artic asked, for as even as wise and knowledgeable as he was, he had never heard of such a thing.

"Well, according to the exploratory group we have in our midst, rumor had it that Megatron, before his demise, had created such a machine and used it as a torture device, for sparklings who weren't able to grow up fast, they were destroyed" Stingray stated.

"What a disgusting bot! If he weren't already dead, I'd kill him myself" Artic stated, as seekers were always protective of sparklings.

"And the way Starscream acts, it is almost as if he is stuck in the terrible twos or the troublesome teens" Stingray added.

"Is there a way that they could be saved?" Artic asked.

"I think they can be. The trouble is catching them and then resetting their programming, which is not as easy as it sounds" Stunray added.

"Sheetrock thought they were unsalvageable, but I think he is wrong" Stingray stated, hoping Primus would return the long-lost seekers.

"Only time will tell" Artic stated. "Speaking of little ones, how are your new little seekerlings doing?"

"All six are healthy. And all six are mechlings" Stingray revealed, a little sad as she had hoped for a femme seekerling.

Artic sensed the disappointment. "Remember, Stingray, now that you have be returned to normal, you have time to create more sparklings, and maybe one or more of them will be femmes" Artic replied, trying to encourage Stingray.

"I have tried telling her that, but it's going to take time for her to realize that" Stunray stated gently, not wanting to suffer his mate's wrath.

"Who is watching them now?" Artic asked, seeing if he could find a good sparkling sitter for when he and his mate wanted some time alone.

"Armor is watching them. Seems while she wants to remain single, she is an excellent sparkling sitter" Stingray replied and the three talked for a bit longer before Snow Cat called his mate home. Artic excused himself and soon headed for home. Seeing that Artic Cat was heading home, Stingray and Stunray decided to head home as well.

Meanwhile, back in Iacon, things seemed to be going well. Bots were living with each other in peace, even though a random fight would break out every now and then, it was always resolved as soon as possible. Optimus expected that little skirmishes would break out between bots as so many living in one area, it was bound to happen. He had a security force, much like the police forces he had heard about on earth, that would also help keep the peace in each citadel and enforce the laws. It seemed to work out well, as the communities and the security forces worked together to help each other keep the citadels safe.

And, back on the far moon that Starscream had made his base, Starscream was raving mad as none of the raids he had had his "lackeys" perform resulted in anything of importance being seized or noted. Starscream felt it was as if they were constantly failing him by not bringing back valuable intel or objects. And he had no problem making sure they knew the price of failure, as he was even more evil in his punishments than Megatron, as Starscream didn't listen to any pleas for mercy. He didn't care. Things were black and white to him and that was all that mattered. It was only TC and Warp that kept Starscream from destroying every bot in their small force. The triplet brothers were the only thing keeping Starscream somewhat sane, and even then, it was a struggle.


	72. Chapter 72

One thing that Starscream failed to realize in all his disastrous planning was that Optimus had picked up on the bot's pattern. For the Prime, with access to the Matrix plus other items of ancient wisdom, the seeker's plans were easily figured out. Starscream was failing to realize that his plans were only extreme versions of Megatron's plans with half as much thought and twice as much incompetence. Optimus always was one step ahead – hence Starscream's frustration.

But as Optimus planned to beef up the defense of another citadel, he received a concerned comm from Stingray and Stunray, two of the seekers who had been brought out of suspended animation and lived in the underground citadel of Vos.

"Stunray to Optimus, come in Optimus" Stunray commed. He had been watching this whole thing as Starscream's attacks and raids were slowly becoming more routine.

"Optimus here. How may I help you Stunray?" Optimus asked, curious as to why he had been commed by Stunray.

"It regards our constant attacker – Starscream and his small group of raiders" Stunray said.

"You have information regarding them?" Optimus asked, curious.

"Yes sir. I must tell you that Starscream and his triplet brothers, Skywarp and Thundercracker, are great grandsparklings to Stingray and I" Stunray revealed.

Optimus paused for a moment, trying not to show the shock that revelation had sent through him. "And how does that affect the raids and Starscream?" Optimus asked.

"I… that is we… if they could be captured alive, we would like to take them back" Stunray stated.

Optimus wasn't quite sure what that meant. "They are dangerous to Autobot society. What would you do if I were to hand them over to you? How would you control them?" Optimus asked, clearly worried about the clear and present danger of Starscream and his posse.

"Well… we have many special machines here…. And since it was a machine that forced them to grow up… we might be able to do the reverse and return them to the sparklinghood that was stolen from them" Stunray revealed.

"And if that fails?" Optimus asked, not sure where this would lead to.

"Well, if they can't be restored by the machine, they will be terminated by it. I don't like the idea that it may go wrong, but I have to have a chance to save my family" Stunray pleaded.

Optimus could understand. He had had to kill his own twin just so that they could live in this peace and rebuild Cybertron. Optimus wished he could have had both his twin and peace on Cybertron, but he knew that would never happen. But seeing that he might be able to help this family, he agreed to Stunray's request. "When and if they are captured, Starscream and his brothers will be sent to you."

"thank you, sir" Stunray stated.

"You are welcome. Optimus out."

Once the comm was over, Stunray went to his mate. "I bring news, my love" Stunray stated.

"And what, pray tell, news is that?" Stingray asked as she was caring for their young ones.

"Optimus has granted permission for you and I to receive Starscream and his triplet brothers whenever they are captured and receive them alive" Stunray revealed.

"Optimus really agreed to that?" Stingray asked, her optics showing stunned surprise.

"Yes, he really agreed. I am not sure why he did, but I know he did" Stunray stated.

"I just hope that they are salvageable" Stingray stated.

"Me too, as I would love to raise them in all kindness" Stunray stated.

"Raise them? What do you mean raise them? They are full grown adults!"

"But we have technology here that may help us return them to the sparklinghood that was stolen from them" Stunray reminded her.

"Oh yeah, that is right. But if it doesn't work, it will kill them!"

"That is why we need to make sure it is in perfect working order so that when the time comes, we are ready" Stunray answered. Stingray nodded. She could only hope for the best, but be prepared for the worst.

Meanwhile, back in Iacon, having just stepped out into the street, Peacekeeper was walking around the new citadel that had been recently rebuilt. He was greeted by many bots and he greeted them kindly. Many bots almost accidentally called him sir as he looked so much like his father except for coloration. Keeper, though a youngling, now had a battle mask to cover the lower half of his face as he had been near Jack's lab one day and suffered severe injuries to the lower part of his face plates from an explosion fragment that had hit him at full speed. Keeper's mask had been designed off of his father's battle mask, hence many got the two confused especially if they did not know the coloration of the Prime well.

Keeper was enjoying the beautiful day and was glad to see life on Cybertron flourish as well as see the beauty of the rebuilt citadel of Iacon as he had read much about it in old data pads. _So, this must be what it was like during the golden age of Peace of Cybertron all those millennia ago_ Keeper thought.

"Hey Peacekeeper!" came a call from the other side of the road, across from Keeper.

"HI there, Uncle bee" Keeper stated. "Who's your friend?" Keeper asked, even though he recognized the bot.

"This is bulldozer. I am teaching him how to be a good friend" Bee stated proudly. Bulldozer said nothing as Keeper was a much bigger bot that Bulldozer.

"I am sure you are doing well in teaching him" Keeper responded, causing Bee to smile and Bulldozer to react in shock. Keeper then walked on, leaving the two be.

"Wow" was all Bulldozer could say.

"You see, he isn't always a mean bot. He is kind and patient as well. You can be a bigger built bot and still be kind to those who are smaller than you" bee stated. Bulldozer just nodded and the two moved on. He was learning so much.


	73. Chapter 73

The raids by Starscream and his posse were starting to become more frequent, though they still remained far away from Iacon. It was as if Starscream was testing things out before he dare attack the citadel of the Prime. Starscream had no idea that all the Autobots were now on the lookout for him and he was to be captured alive. Once again, Starscream attacked the citadel of Feron, but this time, he wouldn't return with all those who attacked with him.

Artic Cat and the seekers who lived and served under him were getting sick of all the raids and such, but all knew exactl why Starscream and the other seekers were to be captured alive – as Stunray had told Artic of what Stunray had asked the Prime for permission for and obtained permission from the Prime. Artic made sure that all those who lived in his citadel knew what was at stake and what was to be done with those captured.

All the scientific minded bots made sure the ancient machine was working properly. The now only needed to test it on a real bot, and lucky for the scientist, the young seeker named Sundimmer was captured by a couple bots that had gone out to stop another raid. Starscream had no idea his son had been captured. He figured that the good for nothing young seeker had gone off on his own to do something.

"We caught one of the seekers" the femme stated, embarrassing Sundimmer and making him angry. HE never expected a femme would kick his tailpipe.

One of the scientists scanned the seeker who was trying to squirm his way out of the cuffs. "He will be an excellent specimen, as my readings show he was forced to grow up too fast. We must let Stunray and Stingray know" the mech scientist stated.

"Why is that?" asked another.

"Because code says that this one is somehow related to them" the first one stated.

"Ok, I'll comm them, you work on the bot" a third scientist stated.

The first scientist called a medic to come to make sure that the captured seeker would be able to enter the machine. The medic scanned and denied the scientists request. "What is wrong?" the scientist asked.

"He is heavily sparked. Only once the seekerlings inside him are removed may you test that infernal machine on him" the medic stated, hating the machine that they were going to use.

"Alright, to the brig with him" the scientist ordered, and the femme who had captured Sundimmer led the bot to the brig. Sundimmer tried his darndest to get out of her grip, but she was too strong.

And as the femme was leading the captured bot away, word floated not only to Stunray and Stingray, but also Artic Cat. And while Stun and Sting headed for the brig area to find out more about the captured bot, Artic commed Optimus.

"Artic Cat to Prime, come in Prime" Artic called over the comm.

"Prime here, go ahead Artic" Optimus responded, expecting to hear of yet another raid in the area.

"there was yet another raid here, however, we were able to capture one of the perpetrators" Artic revealed.

"Is it Starscream?" Optimus asked, curious if the leader of the raids had been captured yet, though Optimus doubted it.

"No, sir, we haven't caught him yet, but we caught the young seeker that flies around with Starscream and his troop" Artic revealed, unaware that Optimus had been looking for the young seeker ever since he had been made aware of the fact that the young seeker attacked Flasher for no reason.

"I see and what is your plan with the bot?" Optimus asked, curious once again and wanting to make a good example out of the bot.

"Well, once he sparks, he will be the first guinea pig for the machine Stunray and Stingray wish to use to restore their great-grandchildren" Artic revealed.

"Won't he be killed then?" Optimus asked, unaware of what had been detected in the young seeker.

"Not necessarily, as our scientists have discovered this young seeker was also forced to grow up fast so he would be the perfect test subject" Artic revealed to the Prime.

Optimus listened. "Just use care, especially if the bot is already sparked" Optimus stated, as he always worried about sparked bots and sparklings.

"Yes sir" Artic stated and both signed off the comm. Optimus could only hope that what the seekers had in mind really would save not only Starscream and them, but also Cybertron.

Meanwhile, out at the moon "base" of Starscream's bots, Starscream was livid that he was unable to find Sundimmer, as the bot had failed to return. "Where is the fool?" Starscream hissed angrily.

"I fear he was captured, my lord" one of the underlings reported.

"CAPTURED?" Starscream asked angrily, shouting at the bot.

"Yes, sir. A femme overpowered him" the underling revealed.

Starscream snickered dangerously at that. "Well, if he can't beat a femme he doesn't deserve to come back." TC and Warp just watched as Starscream tore into each bot for failing him and basically blew off even trying to rescue Sundimmer. They wanted to say something, but with unbalanced as Starscream was, they feared he would even kill them, so they said nothing.

Meanwhile, back in the underground citadel of Vos, preparations were continuing to be made to use the ancient machine on the young seeker. All knew that the young one would be made to spark his little ones first, then and only then would the bot dare be put in the strange device in hopes of saving the young seeker, though the young seeker had no idea.

Sundimmer was not happy, and he tried all ways he could think of to break out of his cell and return to the skies, but every attempt failed. And when the medic came to perform the C-section to save the sparklings from what was to occur, Sundimmer knew his time was up.


	74. Chapter 74

The medic was quick and thorough as well as careful with taking the little sparklings out of the young seeker. Sundimmer did not even get a chance to see the sparklings before they were whisked away. A he was only give a short time to recover before the scientists came and got him. He struggled against the bonds that bound him but he was unable to break free. These bots being fellow seekers knew how to prevent a seeker from escaping and so, fighting all the way, Sundimmer was led to the ancient machine.

The scientists quickly and thoroughly strapped the young seeker in. Sundimmer shouted and struggled, but his distress went unnoticed at this time, for he was now still considered an enemy and enemies must be punished. That would hopefully soon change. What the scientists didn't know was that Sundimmer recognized this type of machine, as Megatron had used it on Sundimmer to force the bot to grow up fast. Remembering the sheer agony of that caused Sundimmer to struggle against his bonds even more.

The scientists were careful and methodical as they prepared to turn the ancient machine on. They didn't wish to harm the fellow seeker, merely return to him what had been stolen from him. Sundimmer could only watch as the scientists prepared to turn the machine on. He figured his life was over at this point.

"Alright" came a call, "turn the machine on slowly."

The scientist by the controls did so, carefully watching how the machine worked and was working on the test subject. The other scientists were watching other areas while the lead scientist was watching over everything. Sundimmer felt the rays of the machine pierce into his systems, and while he at first screamed, as he thought they would cause pain, he soon began to realize that these rays were not as painful as the others he had experienced. He still didn't like this, but at least these scientists were trying to be careful with him.

The machine worked its magic right before the scientists' optics, but they knew that reverting back to a stolen sparklinghood took less time and was supposedly less painful than forcing a bot to grow up too fast. After several hours, instead of having a young seeker in front of them, the scientists had a tiny seekerling, as Sundimmer was a runt as a sparkling even though he was second born of his triplet set.

"Wow, he was sparked tiny" one scientist stated.

"Yeah, no wonder he was such a small seeker" another stated.

"We need to get him to Stunray and Stingray" the lead scientist stated.

"Why?" another asked.

"Because his code shows that he is related to them somehow, though I am not quite sure how" the lead scientist stated, unaware that this young seeker was the son of Starscream that had been forced on the older seeker by Megatron and that Starscream and his brothers were the great-grandsparklings of Stunray and Stingray.

"As you say" the others agreed and commed Stunray, updating him on the news.

"And you say this bot is related to us?" Stunray asked, a bit confused.

"Yes, his code is a very far down match, but it is a match nonetheless" the lead scientist stated.

"OK, we will be there to take the little one soon. Stunray out." Stunray then approached his mate. "Love, I have news"

"What is it, dear?" Stingray asked, having just gotten their little sparklings down to sleep.

"The machine is in perfect working order. The young seeker who was captured was successfully changed back into a seekerling" Stunray stated.

"That is excellent news, but what does that have to do with us?" Stingray asked, curiously.

"Apparently, this young seeker shared our data code" Stunray revelaed.

Stingray thought about it. "DO you think he is our great-great grandsparkling?"

"Anything is possible. Besides, before the test, they removed three healthy seekerlings and they will need a home too" Stunray stated.

"Do you really think we can raise all these sparklings?" Stinray asked, knowing how much work the little ones were.

"I think we owe it to them. I will help you more" Stunray stated.

Stingray smiled. "We always wanted a big family. Now I think Primus is blessing us for following him."

"I agree" Stunray stated and they went to pick up all four little ones and brought them home. And while Stingray took care of the four new additions, Stunray felt obligated to comm the Prime. "Stunray to Prime, come in Prime."

"Prime here" Optimus answered, wondering why Stunray was comming him so late. "What is wrong, Stunray?"

"I have good news, sir. The ancient machine we have here is in perfect working order and will be able to be used if and when Starscream and the others are captured."

Optimus shot up out of bed and headed to his office. He needed a bit more information than that. And once at his office, the Prime asked more specific questions and found what had been done and how successful it had been. Optimus was grateful to hear that maybe, just maybe, the seeker who was such a pain in the aft could soon be returned to where he really belonged. "I am glad to hear the news, I just have one request, Stunray."

"And what is that sir?" Stunray asked, having been so excited he forgot about it being nighttime on the other side of Cybertron.

"Please remember that unless it is an emergency to comm me a little later in the day" Optimus stated.

Then Stunray remembered it was in the middle of the night over where Iacon was and apologized. "I am sorry, sir, I guess I was so excited, I didn't even think about it."

"Forgiven, just a word to the wise for the future" Optimus replied without sounding tired or irritated.

"Yes, sir. I will remember that from now on" Stunray answered.

"Well done, Stunray. Optimus out" Optimus stated and headed back to bed with his mate. He was hopeful now that those who were creating chaos would soon no longer be able to do so.


	75. Chapter 75

Come morning in Iacon, Optimus updated Mirage on what had occurred at the underground citadel of Vos. Mirage was as amazed as he was pleased. "They really were able to restore that poor seeker to a seekerling?" Mirage asked eagerly and hopefully, as he remembered the watching the torture of the three young seekerlings being forced to grow up too fast under Megatron's command and Soundwave's doing.

"Yes, the seeker scientists were able to restore the young rogue seeker" Optimus replied, seeing the look on Mirage's face. "Why do you look so relieved?"

"Remember, my love, I was deep in the con base watching those young seekerlings undergo the torture of being forced to grow up faster than Primus intended. It is good that the seeker will now be able to grow up and be a loving seeker and not a murderer for the Cons" Mirage replied.

Optimus nodded as he now remembered Mirage talking about that and how disturbing the scene was. "Well, one less threat to us and all Autobots" Optimus stated.

"Yes, but the greatest threat still remains, love" Mirage reminded Optimus.

"Yes, Starscream and his posse must be stopped. I want them all captured, and I want them alive" Optimus replied.

"You have to let the others know that is your command, love" Mirage replied.

Optimus nodded. "I will. I am headed to my office to make the official announcement to all citadels that this is what is decreed." Mirage just nodded in support and Optimus headed off to his office.

Once at his office, Optimus made the announcement to every citadel. HE informed them that all rogue bots were to be captured if able and left alive if able. The leaders of the citadels responded that they would do so. And in the underground citadel of Vos, Artic Cat made Stingray and Stunray aware of the decree. Both were glad that Optimus had made this official before Starscream or any of his band of hooligans were captured and likely slaughtered. Not every citadel was happy with the decree, but understood that the Prime must have had a good reason for issuing it and so they would follow the order.

Meanwhile, out in space on the far side of the moon where Starscream had his hidden base full of misfits and thugs, Starscream was trying to hatch out yet another devious plan. He looked at the whole of Cybertron along with his brothers. "I think we need to attack closer to Iacon, give those Autobots a good scare as well as better loot" Starscream stated.

"Are you sure that is wise, lord Starscream, as the closer we get to the Prime, the more the citadels will be guarded" Warp asked carefully.

"DON'T YOU EVER QUESTION ME!" Starscream screeched loudly with venomous anger. "WHAT I SAY GOES!"

TC and Warp looked at the bot. Starscream must have been out of his mind to attack so close to Iacon, but they dare not question him further about that. "What do you wish us do?" Thundercracker asked, wanting to see just what crap Starscream wanted them to pull this time.

"I want you to attack the citadel of Vos, you know that crappy citadel where our good for nothing creators came from" Starscream stated, having absolutely no memory of his real creators as he and his triplet brothers had been stolen so young.

"What are you looking for in that citadel anyway?" Warp asked, slightly annoying Starscream, but not to the point he had before.

"I want you to bring me whatever seeker technology you find so that we can make ourselves better" Starscream stated, his evil and scientific mind well aware how to use seeker technology.

"Yes, sir" The triplet brothers stated and they went to go with Starscream to see the exact plans he had for them. This was not going to be good.

Meanwhile, Optimus, feeling something in his spark, sent more bots to the above ground citadel of Vos. He wasn't a hundred percent sure that this would be the next target, but he knew it wouldn't be too long before Starscream would move his attacks closer to Iacon. Optimus knew Starscream's two main objectives were to eradicate the Prime and conquer Cybertron so Starscream could run it his own way. Optimus hoped, prayed, and prepared so that he wouldn't be caught off guard.

Elsewhere, in the citadel of Iacon, Illusion was happy that this was now his home, even if his mate Buster had to travel from time to time. With many friends and family around, Illusion felt at home. And though he felt at home in Iacon, he made sure to keep in touch with the friends he had made in other citadels so that they didn't feel left out. Mirage was just happy that Illusion was around.

"It's nice to have you back and back to stay, my twin" Mirage stated, as he and his twin had gone for a walk just the two of them to catch up.

"I am glad that I can remain here as well, though I do miss the few friends that I made in other citadels" Illusion stated.

"You can always invite them to come here and see you" Mirage reminded his twin.

"I know, but some live too far away and I fear their bosses wouldn't give them enough time to come here and see me" Illusion stated.

"You can always go visit them. You have bots here who will happily watch your sparklings while you visit them."

Illusion nodded. "First I want to get settled in here and then I will think about visiting those citadels once I am back on my feet here" Illusion stated.

"Anything I can help you with?" Mirage asked.

"No, I just need time to be in the citadel and adjust" Illusion stated.

"I understand. I didn't move far from the underground base, but I am still adjusting to living in the place of the Prime" Mirage stated.

"It looks like we get to adjust to our new settings together" Illusion replied with a smile on his face.

"I wouldn't have it any other way" Mirage smiled and then the two parted and headed for their respective homes. Both were happy to be close once again.


	76. Chapter 76

Thundercracker took a few of the bots his brother had picked up along the way and headed for the above ground citadel of Vos, completely unaware that it was merely a mirror citadel of the true citadel of Vos which was underground and on the far side of the planet. Starscream had decided not to send both of his brothers just in case something happened like it had with Sundimmer. And so Thundercracker led this attack, unaware that the citadel was ready for a fight.

Silverbolt, who Optimus had appointed to be leader over the above ground citadel of Vos, saw the bots coming and sounded the silent alarm. It would reach the Autobot guards that were needed but it would not be detected by the enemy. Silverbolt was soon joined by his aerial bot brethren amongst others. "It would appear as if the rogue bots have returned to Cybertron and set their sights upon our citadel. We who are here must defend the innocent who live within" Silverbolt stated.

"Yes, we must protect them" Slingshot stated.

"And the citadel, for it still hides many secrets" another bot added.

"Don't fire upon them unless you have no choice. You have heard the decree; Optimus Prime wants all rogue bots caught and brought in alive unless there is no alternative" Silverbolt reminded them.

"that is a tall order, sir, but we will do our best" another bot stated. And so they waited for the small bunch of rogue bots to approach the citadel. All the bots within who were not to be involved in the fighting boarded themselves up in their homes to protect themselves and any little ones in the citadel.

Thundercracker continued his approach, unaware that the citadel knew they were coming and that the citadel was ready to attack if needed. "There it is, you lazy afts, Vos. Come we must find the secrets that it holds as that will give us an advantage" Thundercracker declared, and those with him cheered and followed.

As they approached, they finally noticed things didn't look right, as the citadel appeared empty. But going against his better judgement and hoping to find the secrets within, Thundercracker dove down, leading the other bots with him into the citadel, unaware of the ambush waiting them. Thundercracker was too blinded by the fact that this could really lead to Starscream destroying Cybertron to see that heavily armed bots lay in wait for the small group.

Silverbolt watched as the bots flew in closer and closer, and then as they flew down to the citadel. HE pulsed a silent comm to all the guards to wait until just the right time to strike. All the guards remained quiet and grew even more angered as they watched the bots approach. NO one but on one was going to destroy their home. And only once the small group of rogue bots touched down in the citadel did Silverbolt give the silent command to "attack and capture."

Thunderbolt and his small band of thieving bots were caught totally offguard by the surprise attack. And instantly they were fighting to escape from the bots that they hadn't noticed. And while many were easily captured, Thundercracker managed to break away from the biggest fight and soar into the sky, thinking it would be a safe refuge as unlike many of those with him, he was a seeker. But his temporary escape was not to last long, as though he was a seeker, he was not fast enough to out run five aerial bots and a large shuttle. The five aerial bots chased Thundercracker and the shuttle ended up capturing the bot. The aerial bots were grateful for the help, but weren't sure who was helping them. They would ask questions after the captured bots were brought to Optimus.

Silverbolt gathered the group and placed them in a moveable brig that would allow the bots to be shipped to Optimus without any problems and then Optimus could deal with the "rogue bots." And once the small group was sent off, Silverbolt approached the shuttle bot. "Thank you for your help, sir" Silverbolt stated.

"My pleasure" the gentle shuttle answered.

"Forgive me for asking, but who are you?" Silverbolt asked.

The shuttle smiled. "I am Skyfire. I was exploring the atmosphere when I saw you needed help."

Silverbolt smiled, as he remembered Prowl and Jazz had raised this bot. "Aren't you still a youngling?" Silverbolt asked.

"It is true, I am. But with my size, most don't realize that I am only a youngling and still have a bit to grow" Skyfire revealed.

"Well, thank you for your help. WE couldn't have done it without you" Silverbolt stated.

"The pleasure is all mine. Now if you will excuse me, I must get back as my parents are expecting me home soon" Skyfire stated and he took off. Silverbolt waved as the youngling took off and headed for home.

Meanwhile, word had reached Optimus about the attack on the above ground citadel of Vos as well as the capture of the raiding party that had dared to commit such an act. Optimus waited patiently for the brig with the bots to arrive, as if his hunch was correct, at least one of the trine would have been leading an attack like this. And if one of those bots got caught, he would be shipped to the underground citadel of Vos for the scientists to try and return to seekerlinghood. Optimus would be thoroughly pleased once the bots reached him, as would the seekers in the underground citadel of Vos.

In the moveable brig, Thundercracker and the others were trying their darndest to escape the prion that they were in, but each time they tried, they failed. It looked like they had got caught in the trap and Thundercracker knew in his spark that if they were caught by the enemy, there was no rescue coming because Starscream rescued nobody except himself, not even his son or his brothers. Thundercracker, like the others, could only await his fate.


	77. Chapter 77

As Thundercracker and his small band of raiders headed towards Iacon, Thundercracker started angrily at his captors. He was pissed off at being captured, but nothing he did could get him out of this prison, as his cage had been designed by seekers themselves. Bruiser, who had been assigned to Vos with his mate Speeder, was bringing the captured bots back to Iacon per the decree of Optimus. Bruiser would have loved nothing more than to do away with these foul bots, but orders were orders.

In Iacon, Optimus moved himself from his place to the underground base that the Autobots had utilized during the war. BY Optimus's side was Mirage, Prowl, Jazz, Perceptor, and Soundwave. Soundwave, who had been sparked to two Autobots and then rebelled by joining the Decepticons, had returned to the Autobots when the war was over. He had decided it was better to return to his family than be slaughtered for a leader who didn't respect Soundwave whatsoever.

"Bruiser is bringing the captured bots here. We must separate out the bots" Optimus informed the bots with him.

"Why must they be separated?" Mirage asked, there mostly for moral support.

"Because, if Thundercracker has been captured, he will need to be sent to the underground Citadel of Vos. And the others, they need to be separated to see if they can be reprogrammed to be an Autobot or if they are unsalvageable. I am hoping most can be changed into Autobots" Optimus stated, indicating why Perceptor and Soundwave had been brought here.

"And what is my job here, Prime?" Prowl asked.

"It is you job to help watch over those who are imprisoned awaiting Perceptor and Soundwave's transformations" Optimus stated. To Prowl, that made sense, as it did to all the others. Mirage didn't ask what his job here was, as he figured he was here to support Optimus or possibly use an illusion if necessary. "They should be arriving soon. Mirage, comm Artic and Stunray to Standby just in case."

Mirage did as asked, just as the captured bots arrived. And it was obvious to all that the vile seeker known as Thundercracker had indeed been captured during the raid. Optimus had his battle mask up, so it was hard to tell what he was feeling about all this, but that was exactly what he wanted the captured bots to see.

"Let us go, you foul bots" Thundercracker yelled, almost screeching like Starscream did when Starscream got angry.

"Oh, you will go somewhere, Thundercracker. That has already been arranged" Prowl stated to the defiant but captured seeker.

If looks could have killed, Prowl would have been dead from that comment. "And just where are you fraggers going to send me?" Thundercracker asked.

"You'll see" Prowl answered. And shortly after Prowl answered, two seekers arrived – it was Artic and Stunray, who had been made aware of the situation by Mirage.

"This him, Prime?" Artic asked Optimus, pointing to the blue and black seeker in the special cage.

"That's him and he is all yours" Optimus stated. Thundercracker was too angry about being captured to show the shock of finding two older seekers taking him away. Stunray was hopeful that the machine that had restored the other seeker back to a seekerling would restore this seeker as well. Thundercracker had no idea of just what he was in for as he found himself being transported to a citadel he had no knowledge of.

Meanwhile, the others who had been captured were scanned over by Perceptor and Soundwave. The captured bots were defiant until they realized that Soundwave was a telepath and could read their very thoughts and inner most programming. Prowl and Bruiser just watched over the scene to make sure nothing go out of hand. Mirage stood by Optimus as they waited for the final verdict on these bots.

Perceptor and Soundwave soon were done checking over each bot and quietly discussed their findings. Together, the two came up with how many were salvageable. It wasn't going to be what Optimus had hoped for, but it was going to be a bit better than expected. "So what is your verdict?" Optimus asked, seeing the two seemed to be done discussing things.

"We regret to inform you that only most of these bots can be changed. One bot that we both searched and scanned carefully would be too dangerous to keep alive in his current state and we cannot find a way to save him" Perceptor revealed.

"But he is the only one like that?" Optimus asked, wanting to be sure.

"Yes, sir. He is the only one" Perceptor stated.

"Statement: I will take care of that bot" Soundwave finally said.

Optimus nodded. "Make it so" Optimus stated and he left the others to finish what they had been assigned to do. Mirage followed Optimus out.

Mirage could see that Optimus looked a little off. "Optimus, sir, not every bot can be saved" Mirage stated, figuring it was best to address his mate like that.

Optimus sighed. Mirage was right, but still Optimus had hope. "I suppose you are right, Mirage. Come, let's head home." Mirage nodded and followed his mate.

Meanwhile, the two seekers carrying the defiant seeker who was caged soon reached the area where they were headed. Thundercracker was puzzled as nothing seemed to be out this way but barren Cybertronian land. But soon a hidden door opened. It looked like a strange shaped hole going straight into Cybertron. Thundercracker didn't want to show it, but this looked freaky. Then they descended towards the hole. Thundercracker only hoped that they didn't crash. The two seekers knowing this well, easily went into the hole, carrying their prisoner.

And soon after they landed, Artic and Stunray brought their captive into a citadel Thundercracker had never seen before, as he was unaware of the true home of the original seekers. "Welcome to Vos" Artic state.

"This ain't Vos" Thundercracker hollered.

"Yes it is, and now, we have a special place to take you, brat" Stunray stated and they headed for the scientists lab, hoping that this seeker could be saved just like Sundimmer, now renamed Sunshine, had been. Thundercracker had no idea what he was in for, but he didn't like the feeling he had. He didn't like it at all.


	78. Chapter 78

Going down a long dimly lit tunnel that led to the secret lab, Thundercracker fought to get loose as several seekers took him to a strange area. It didn't take long until the dimly lit hall led into a brightly lit lab area with many scientists milling about, this time including Stingray. She wanted to make sure that this machine would not kill her great-grandson. She recognized him instantly, as Thundercracker looked like Stingray's grandson Shark who had sparked the triplets before passing away. She said nothing though as it was obvious that this blue and red seeker wouldn't believe her.

"I see you have brought the subject" Stingray stated, having taken over as lead scientist this time.

"I have" Stunray stated, not giving away to the captured seeker that Stingray and Stunray were mates.

"Place him in the device" Stingray ordered and Stunray as well as the other guard bots with him did so.

"He is all secure, ma'am" one guard bot replied, having made sure of it, along with the others and Stunray.

"Thank you, gentlemen, we can handle this bot from here" Stingray replied, and Stunray and the other guards left the area, though Stunray didn't go too far.

"Alright, let's power up this machine slowly" Stingray ordered, and soon her fellow scientists were turning on the machine.

Thundercracker didn't show it, but he was terrified. In the back of his mind, he remembered a machine much like this that had tormented him until his body grew bigger. He didn't understand what this was all about and that terrified him even more though he tried not to show it. Then the sounds and lights started, and the rogue seeker could feel power and sensations surging through his body. They were strange, slightly painful, but nowhere near the pain he remembered from a similar machine. Internally, the rogue seeker fought, but he was slowly losing the battle as he felt his processor revert and his body start to shrink in size. Defiant to the last, he refused to show his feelings.

After several long hours of careful and methodical work, Stingray was able to see the result of the machine she had helped repair. Laying curled up in a ball, sleeping with the left thumb in the mouth was the seeker who had only arrived hours ago. He was bigger than Sundimmer was when he had returned but this one was much more peaceful.

"It seems that the machine has worked once again, ma'am" one of the other scientists had stated to Stingray.

"Yes, it seems to have worked just like it was supposed to. Now please keep in mind, we have to keep this machine in top condition as we still have two more bots that we need to place in it to return them to the sparklinghood that was stolen from them" Stingray replied, picking up the sleeping seekerling.

"We will keep it in excellent condition until it is no longer needed" another scientist replied.

"Thank you. Now if you will excuse me, I need to take this little one home" Stingray answered.

"But why do you get to take him?" a young femme scientist asked.

"Because he is one of the last sparklings my grandson sparked before my grandson died and all my other seekerlings, minus the ones I just sparked, are dead or missing. I am the only known family he has left" Stingray replied.

The young femme scientists nodded. "I see. Thank you for clarifying" she replied, having not realized that these bots were being saved because they were family to Stingray.

Stingray then headed out to meet her mate Stunray. She was all smiles. "I trust it was a success, love" Stunray stated.

Stingray nodded. "A complete success my love, Thundercracker is back in our loving hands" Stingray replied.

"Do you want him to keep that name?" Stunray asked.

"Of course, as that was what Shark had named them. He told me just before he died. He had named the last ones Starscream, Thundercracker and Skywarp. He gave me a brief description of each. I think in honor of our grandson, they should keep their given names" Stingray replied.

"Since that is the case, I am happy to keep his name, love" Stunray stated with a smile. He hadn't meant to upset Stingray, he just hadn't known what she did about their names.

"Forgiven, love. Let us head home, and don't forget to tell Optimus and also thank him" Stingray responded.

"I will talk to Optimus later, as it is late over there and I don't wish to wake him at this hour" Stunray replied, remembering what Optimus had requested of the bot.

"But don't forget, my love" Stingray replied.

"I won't" Stunray answered and the two headed for home to add Thundercracker to their growing brood, unaware that because of the triplet bond, Skywarp and Starscream had felt what had happened to their triplet brother even if they didn't know for sure why or how.

Out in space on the dark side of the moon, Skywarp and Starscream were alone as they had sent raiders out a bit ago. "Did you feel that?" Warp asked.

"Yeah, what of it?" Starscream answered, not wanting to show that the feeling scared him as well.

"Do… do you think… Megatron is back with that machine?" Skywarp asked.

Starscream scoffed at that. "Megatron is dead, you fool. I saw Optimus slaughter him and then I burned his metal frame to make sure. There is no way he can return and the Autobots would have destroyed the one machine that Megatron had in the ship if I know those sickening Autobots."

"But who said he was the only one who had developed a machine like that?" Skywarp answered, starting to panic about all of this.

"Silence, I will discuss this no further!" Starscream lashed back, as he didn't want to say that he was just as worried as Skywarp. Skywarp didn't say anything further about it but in a weird way, both had been put on notice that their aft was wanted and wanted alive.


	79. Chapter 79

While Skywarp and Starscream were starting to worry about what was going to happen, Stunray commed Optimus to make the update about what ha been accomplished. "Stunray to Prime, come in Prime" Stunray stated, having waited until it was a good hour to contact Optimus.

"Prime here, go ahead Stunray" Optimus responded, relieved that Stunray had waited this time to comm the Prime at a better time.

"Once again the machine has been a success and one of our great-grandsons has been returned to my mate and I to raise" Stunray reported.

"That is wonderful news, indeed, Stunray. Are you and your mate doing ok with so many sparklings to raise?" Optimus asked, having been updated on everything.

"It is a lot of work but neither my mate nor I would have it any other way. The only thing is, my mate wishes for a femme seekerling, but as we all know, those are rare" Stunray revealed.

"Yes, they are rare, Stunray, however, give it time and I am sure Primus will bless you and your mate with her spark's desire" Optimus stated, trying to encourage the seeker.

"I truly believe, sir, that Primus will bless my mate and I with a femme seekerling when the time is right. I just hope it is sooner rather than later" Stunray replied.

"All in good time, Stunray, all in good time" Optimus replied.

"Of course, sir, and thank you" Stunray stated, having felt better now that he had spoken with the Prime. "Primus promised us that we would not come out of suspended animation until a kind, gentle and fair Prime came into power. You, I can see, is exactly as we were foretold. We trusted Primus then, we still trust him now."

Optimus was amazed, as he hadn't ever been told about that. "I am a bot and by no means am I perfect, even as Prime, but I try to do my best and that is all I can do" Optimus replied.

"Just don't ever lose it" Stunray stated, "Stunray out."

Optimus was sitting in his office, just thinking about the comm. He was glad that the machine had been able to save two of the seekers, though two still remained. But the part that got Optimus the most was the comment Stunray had made about Optimus being foretold to the seekers who had returned from suspended animation. He hadn't heard that before. He wasn't sure what to make of it. All Optimus wanted was to make sure all were able to live freely on this now peaceful world of Cybertron.

Optimus was so lost in his musings, he didn't hear his mate knock at the door and then enter. Mirage was with a new bot who had come to the citadel, looking for a home. "Prime? Sir?" Mirage queried, getting Optimus out of his fog.

"Yes, soldier, how can I help you?" Optimus answered in a programmed response.

"this new bot just came to the citadel and needs a place to stay, sir" Mirage replied.

"What is your name, son?" Optimus asked, assuming the bot was a mech.

"My… my name is Titan, sir" the large bot nervous bot replied.

"I spoke with him, sir, and he has no family or friends anymore as they were all killed during the war. He hopes to make a new life here in Iacon" Mirage revealed. Titan didn't say much, a bit stunned that this bot who had been so helpful so far had no difficulty in talking with the Prime. Titan was in awe of Mirage, who Titan didn't realize was the Prime's mate.

"How old are you, Titan?" Optimus asked, as Titan didn't look quite old enough to be an adult.

"I am an advanced youngling, sir" Titan revealed.

"Sir, may I recommend he stay with Skyfire and his family?" Mirage asked, knowing his adoptive brother and parents might be a good fit for this bot.

"I think that is an excellent recommendation, as long as Jazz and Prowl agree" Optimus stated, unaware that Titan had heard those names and was stunned that they would be mentioned in the same sentence as him. Optimus commed Jazz and Prowl and spoke with them in front of Mirage and Titan. Titan tried not to look too nervous about all of this. Jazz and Prowl agreed to welcome the bot into their home and sent Skyfire to go get him.

It didn't take long for Skyfire to show up. "I was commed to meet a new bot, sir?" Skyfire asked, unaware his size was a relief to Titan, who had feared he would be the only big bot around.

"Yes, Skyfire. This new bot here is Titan, he is an advanced youngling in need of a home until he is an adult. Mirage suggested you and your family would be a good fit for him" Optimus stated.

Skyfire smiled. "If he is willing to go, I will take him home with me" Skyfire stated, looking to Titan.

"You… You want me?" Titan asked.

"Mom and dad are very loving. They adopted me when I was very young. They have had many sparklings, adopted and otherwise and they love every one of them. They will love you too" Skyfire reassured and then, and only then, did Titan head out with Skyfire.

Once the two younglings were gone, Mirage dropped the "sir" and started talking to his mate. "What's up with you?"

"What do you mean?" Optimus asked.

"You didn't hear me knock and then you looked kind of spaced out as we entered. What gives?" Mirage asked, wanting to know. Optimus told his mate all that Optimus had been told by Stunray, including the success of changing Thundercracker into a seekerling and the prophecy that Stunray had told Optimus about. Needless to say, Mirage now understood why his mate was so out of it when Mirage had entered with the advanced youngling. "Wow" was all Mirage could say.

"Yeah, I was still processing all of that when you two entered. Forgive me?" Optimus asked, his Orion Pax side starting to show.

Mirage smiled. "I forgive you, baby, but I think it is time to play for a bit" Mirage responded, knowing exactly the response he would get. Optimus smiled with a smile and the two headed off for their own room to have some fun.


	80. Chapter 80

As Titan was settling in with Jazz and family and Stingray and Stunray were taking care of their little ones, Starscream was plotting an attack once again. Starscream was furious that his men and especially that his brother had been captured. Starscream knew his brother was still online but that did little to satisfy the anger that Starscream had – anger born from fear though one couldn't really tell. Skywarp was careful around Starscream, as even Skywarp knew he wasn't immune from Starscream's rages.

"Starscream, it has been a while since we have attacked. We are running low on energon. What are your recommendations?" Skywarp asked carefully.

Starscream thought for a moment. He didn't like to be pressured to make his decision. But once he thought about it, he knew what he wanted. "Fine, you will take some soldiers and go for another citadel to the north of Iacon. It is a citadel known as Comptron. Rumor has it that it houses lots of energon and is not as well guarded as some citadels" Starscream stated, unaware that the Citadel had changed much since Starscream had first heard the rumors.

"You think that wise?" Skywarp asked, unaware of just what his question would do.

Starscream leapt up and grabbed his brother by the throat. "You dare question me, you fool?!" Starscream screeched loudly. All Skywarp could do was shake his head no as Starscream's grip was that tight. But once Skywarp shook his head no, Starscream let his brother go and Skywarp fell to the ground with a loud clank. "No fulfill your assignment and go get energon, you lousy bucket of bolts!"

Skywarp quickly left with his small band of thugs as Skywarp wanted to keep away from his brother if Starscream was going to act like this. And so, Skywarp and his posse made their way to the citadel of Comptron, hoping to be more successful than Thundercracker and his posse had been.

Meanwhile, in the citadel of Comptron, many bots began to prepare for an eventual attack. They had heard what had happened in the above ground Citadel of Vos and they didn't wish to be caught offguard. Optimus, having known about how the above ground citadel of Vos was attacked sent trainers to Comptron just in case the foolish rogue bots decided to go there next. Many of the mechs and femmes of the citadel were soon trained in both ground and aerial fighting. Chromia, who was the leader of the citadel, was glad that Optimus had sent the trainers so that they felt ready for when the time came.

Elsewhere, as the rogue bots were flying towards the citadel but still a long way off, Skyfire and Titan were hanging out. "See, I told you mom and dad would love you" Skyfire stated.

Titan slowly nodded, as this had all been so overwhelming. "Yea, I guess so" Titan replied, still reeling from all of this.

"Let me guess, you never really had a family?" Skyfire asked.

"How…how did you know?" Titan asked, a bit defensively.

"Because you seem overwhelmed yet grateful to have found one" Skyfire replied, soothing titan. Titan just nodded. He didn't want to discuss that any further and Skyfire just let Titan relax.

And in the estate of the Prime, Mirage was smiling as he snuggled with his mate after having had fun with Optimus as Optimus and as Orion Pax. Optimus was resting, as he rarely got these precious moments and now that he had this one, he wasn't going to let it get away. They snuggled, happy to share time alone while their precious little ones were with friends and family elsewhere.

Meanwhile, in the underground citadel of Vos, Stingray had sent the last of their sparklings to friends to watch as Stingray knew that now that they were out of suspended animation, things would return to normal, including seeker heat. She had felt hers coming and knew Stunray's was coming as well. She just prayed that this time, when one of them most likely got sparked, one of the precious seekerlings would be a femme. She had no idea that Primus was going to answer her prayer but not in the way she expected.

When Stunray came home, he knew what was going on when he noticed no sparklings. He smiled at seeing that everything was ready to go for them. "It is time my love" Stunray stated as he pulled Stingray to him and kissed her deeply.

"Yes…. It is time" She managed to say once she was able to break her mate's kiss. And that started the fun the two had for several days, with one ending up sparked by the end of their fun time. Primus smiled, knowing that no matter what, Stingray would be happy with the results and so would Stunray since Stingray would be happy.

Meanwhile, growing ever closer to the citadel of Comptron, Skywarp and his posse were preparing to attack the citadel first and then steal the extra energon it supposedly housed. They flew in in formation, unaware that the inhabitants of the citadel were more than ready for an attack, aerial or otherwise, that the rogue bots would do.

Chromia saw the bots coming and sounded the silent alarms. Those who knew how to fight grabbed their arms and waited, those who had chosen not to fight made sure sparklings and older bots were safe before making themselves safe. All hunkered down for what most thought would be a long drawn out battle. Chromia informed her troops that if at all possible, all must be taken alive per the decree of Optimus. The others agreed even though all knew that was a tall order. They would try their best. All they could do now was wait for the bots to get in range.

And the rogue bots grew closer and closer until they were practically right over the citadel. The armed bots kept silent and still, so as not to give their numbers away. Now it was only a question of who would fire the first shot.


	81. Chapter 81

Chromia and all those serving under her who were ready to fight kept silent as the rogue bots quickly approached their fair citadel. She gave the silent command that all those under her were to wait until the enemy shot first, as she figured Warp and his band of buffoons weren't quite as slick as Starscream or Thundercracker. And so Comptron braced for what was to come.

Skywarp laughed with evil delight as he headed for the citadel. He couldn't help it, as ruining things was his best strength, hence Megatron seldom relied on the seeker for anything but destruction. Skywarp made his way, warping him and his team closer and closer. The citadel looked abandoned by Skywapr had a hunch it wasn't. And so, to "get the party started" he blasted the main wall of the citadel, attacking it and hoping to lure out the few "scaredy bots" inside. Little did he expect what was going to happen next.

The protectors of the citadel heard the loud bang as the shots from the seeker null ray hit the front wall near where Chroma was located. "Alright, bots, now we fight! But remember, keep them alive if you can" Chromia shouted and soon all the fighting bots emerged from their hiding places and began firing back at the intruders and attackers of the citadel.

Skywarp was soon hit in the wing by a lucky shot. It hurt like hell and made him boiling mad. He flew down to confront the bots shooting at him and his small posse of bots flew down with him. And an intense battle was fought. Unfortunately, a few of the rogue bots of the posse were lost and a couple of the defenders of the citadel were lost, but most of the rogue bots, including Skywarp were captured and imprisoned in special cages built to hold them.

Chromia, having been informed of why the seeker was wanted, commed the seekers first. "Chromia to Artic, come in Artic" Chromia commed.

"Artic here. What's the situation, Chromia?" Artic asked, puzzled as to why the femme leader of Comptron was comming him.

"I bring news" Chromia replied.

"What kind of news?" Artic asked.

"Good and bad news, which do you want first?" Chromia asked.

"The bad first" Artic stated, not sure if he really wanted to hear it, as bad news often meant an attack.

"The bad news is we were attacked and lost a couple of good bots here in our citadel as well as a couple of rogue bots" Chromia replied.

Artic silently sighed, as attacks were never a good thing. "And the good news?" Artic asked, unsure what it would be.

"We have captured the seeker Skywarp alive per Prime's decree that he was to be captured alive" Chromia replied.

On the other end of the comm, Artic smiled. This really was good news. "Are you wishing for someone to come pick him up and bring him to the underground citadel of Vos?" Artic asked, wanting to be sure.

"Yes, and the rest we will send to Prime" Chromia stated.

"Ok, Snow cat and Tuner are on their way" Artic stated, as the other two were nearby and hearing this conversation.

"Thank you, Chromia out" Chromia replied and then she commed the Prime. "Chromia to Prime, come in Prime, sir"

"Prime here, what can I help you with, Chromia?" Optimus asked, wondering why the femme leader of Comptron was comming him.

"I have news to report, as there was an attack on Comptron" Chromia replied.

"What's the status there?" Prime asked, concerned.

"WE suffered an attack by Skywarp and some rogue bots he was bringing with him. They fired on us first and so we had no choice but to defend ourselves. We lost a couple of good defender bots and a couple of the rogue bots were lost as well. However, we were able to catch the rest alive, including the seeker Skywarp" Chromia reported.

Optimus listened to the full report before replying. "Has someone from the underground citadel of Vos been contacted?" Optimus asked, as last time he had had to do it.

"Yes, sir, I contacted Artic Cat. He is sending Snow Cat and Tuner to pick up Skywarp. And I am awaiting your instructions regarding the other captured bots" Chromia replied.

"Send the rogue bots, minus Skywarp, to Iacon. They will be dealt with here" Optimus stated.

"As you request Prime, sir, Chromia out" Chromia responded and she prepared the captured bots to be sent out. Optimus gathered a few bots and sent them to Comptron to pick up the rogue bots that were to come to Iacon. And Snow Cat and Tuner were getting closer to the citadel, both able to fly faster now that they were not sparked.

Snow Cat and Tuner arrived far ahead of the few bots that Optimus sent out from Iacon. "We are here to pick up the seeker known as Skywarp" Snow stated.

"He is right here" Chromia replied, showing where the purple seeker bot was imprisoned. "He was hit in the wing during the attack, but is otherwise unharmed."

Snow cat checked over the prison to make sure the captured seeker would not be able to escape. Once satisfied, after making a few tweaks, Snow cat and Tuner took the captured seeker bot and left. And just after those two left with the imprisoned Skywarp, the group of bots that Optimus had sent arrived and took the other rogue bots that had been captured alive.

Back in space, where Starscream was with the last few rogue bots with him, Starscream felt something had gone wrong. He knew it, oh he knew it, and he threw a hissy fit about it, though none of the bots with his dared challenge him as Starscream had not earned his deadly reputation for nothing.

Meanwhile, as all that was going on, Stunray was starting to feel not so hot. He wasn't sure what it was, but figured it maybe was bad energon that he had had. Little did he realize what the truth was.


	82. Chapter 82

For poor Skywarp, it didn't take the seekers of the underground citadel of Vos long to change the angry overgrown seeker into a cute and cuddly purple sparkling who seemed to love nothing more than to please other bots. Stingray had to smile, as that bot pleasing part reminded her so much of their grandson Shark who had sparked these little ones. But as Stingray was watching the little ones, she noticed her mate didn't appear to be looking well.

"You ok, love?" Stingray asked, after having put Skywarp in a crib with his fellow triplet Thundercracker so both could nap.

Stunray wasn't sure how to answer. "I…I am not sure, love. I wish I could say yes or no, but I can't" Stunray replied.

"You know, love, you've been acting funny since we had our special cycle" Stingray stated.

"Yeah? What of it" Stunray asked, not sure what he was about to here.

"I think you should get checked out by a medic" Stingray replied.

"That might not be a bad idea, but what if it is only bad energon?" Stunray asked.

"Then at least we will have an answer" Stingray stated and pushed her mate out the door so he wouldn't "chicken out" on seeing the medic.

Meanwhile, Optimus was pleased to learn that Skywarp had been salvaged as well and was now living happily as a sparkling in the underground citadel of Vos. Now the only thing that stood in the way of real peace and no more war was Starscream and the few bots he had left with him. Optimus knew all he had to do was bide his time. Optimus knew at some point Starscream would mess up and then and only then would he be caught like the rest.

Elsewhere, Titan was learning to be part of a family, thanks to Jazz and Prowl. Titan tried, though he always seemed to tick off one of the siblings who had been there before he came. Titan felt deflated and would have left if it weren't for Skyfire.

"You can't let them get to you, Titan. They are just sparklings" Skyfire reminded Titan.

Titan sighed. "It's easy for you to say, you aren't new. They don't make fun of you" titan replied.

"Which ones are making fun of you?" Skyfire asked, a bit surprised, as most of his siblings were actually good bots. Titan told which one and it upset Skyfire – not because of Titan but because that sibling was usually such a loving bot. "I will talk with him and if that doesn't work, I will have mom and dad talk with him. He shouldn't be making fun of you. He knows better" Skyfire stated.

"If you think that will help" Tian replied, still not certain about all of this.

"Well, if I can't convince him, I do know of someone who can without going to mom and dad" Skyfire stated.

"Who is that?" Titan asked.

"Either Illusion or Mirage, as they are twins and they are family" Skyfire revealed.

"Mirage is family? You mean like the Mirage who is mated to the Prime?" Titan asked, stunned. He hadn't realized that that was part of being part of this family.

"the one and only, though he likes to keep a low profile" Skyfire replied.

"He… he's the one who help me find a family" Titan stated, only realizing what family he came into now.

"Mirage is a good bot who likes helping others. He and his twin were adopted by mom and dad" Skyfire revealed.

Titan felt a bit overwhelmed but smiled. "Thanks" Titan replied, happy to hear that he had such support.

Meanwhile, back in the underground citadel of Vos, and having been kicked out of the house so he would see a medic, Stunray made his way to the medical area of town. He just hoped that this was a case of bad energon, but something told him it might be something more.

"Hi, Stunray. Been a while since you've come to see me. What seems to be the issue?" the seeker medic asked kindly.

"I've been feeling a bit off. My mate and I just got our special cycle about a week ago and I've felt odd ever since. My mate is a femme, so I don't think it is sparklings. I think it is bad energon, but it doesn't usually last this long" Stunray stated, unaware that being bonded to a femme meant little to nothing about being sparked.

"Just because you are bonded to a femme doesn't mean you can't be sparked. It has happened in the past, not often but it does happen" the medic revealed.

"Can you just please scan me and get this over with? I just want to know what is going on" Stunray stated almost in a whiny voice. He didn't like being in the med bay and he was feeling a bit moody.

The medic had an idea of what he was going to find. "Please, sit on the berth and then I will scan you to see what is going on." Stunray did as told, as he knew medic's orders were meant to be followed. The seeker medic performed a scan and then smiled when he found the cause of Stunray's issues.

"What's the verdict, doc bot?" Stunray asked.

"You are sparked. Congratulations" the medic replied.

"Sp…Sp… Sparked?" Stunray managed to get out before passing out, landing with a crash back onto the med bay berth. The seeker medic just smiled and made sure that Stunray was safe until the bot came back around. "ugh.."

"Like I said, you are indeed sparked. Now, since you have been sparked before, you know what to do" the medic stated. Stunray stupidly nodded and headed off, still in a daze about what he had found out. He knew Stingray wasn't going to believe it. Heck, he hardly believed it. He was carrying triplets in his chamber. He just hoped that Stingray wouldn't be upset when he shared the news with her. He soon arrived home. "Honey, we need to talk" Stunray uttered as he came in, hoping Stingray was ready for what he was going to reveal.


	83. Chapter 83

As Stunray was waiting for the little ones to be put in bed, out on the far side of the distant moon, Starscream was plotting. He was enraged that his brothers were caught and that his men had been caught as well. He was trying to plan the "perfect" plan that would leave him free but would devastate the Autobots, clueless that he had nowhere near the amount of manpower it would take to even stop the Autobots a little bit. He continued to plan and re=plan, hoping to plan for every contingency so that he, Starscream, would not be captured. It was taking time, but he hoped the more he planned it, the better it would be. Nothing was further from the truth, as Primus knew that Starscream would be unable to see how he would be captured trying this silly plan.

Back in the underground citadel of Vos, Stunray was trying to figure out how to tell his mate even as Stingray was busy placing the last little seekerling in bed. Once Stingray was done with that, she came out and sat at the table with Stunray. "What's wrong? Did the medic say something?" Stingray asked, seeing the look on her mate's face.

"Well… nothing is wrong, per se, my sweet. It is just that after our fun, it was I who ended up carrying" Stunray revealed to his precious mate.

"You are sparked again? Is that what the medic said?" Stingray asked, wanting to make sure she heard correctly. Stunray nodded his helm slowly as he lowered it, fearing that she would not take this news well. Stingray could tell her mate was worried and so she went over to him and lifted his helm up. She spoke softly and lovingly when she said, "Love, I know you were not expecting to carry again, especially since I your mate am a femme, but we will love these gifts from Primus no matter what."

Stunray was stunned when he heard her say that. He had feared she would be extremely upset with him. "You… you aren't mad that I carry our next set of little ones?" Stunray asked, hopeful. He knew Stingray could react badly at times, and he hoped that this was not one of those times.

"No, my love. You have to remember, I only sparked our last little ones a few months ago. I think Primus was looking to give me a break when he blessed you with carrying them" Stingray explained to her worried mate. Stunray just snuggled into her, happy that she was accepting of this and relieved that she was happy about this.

"Maybe this time, Primus will answer your other prayer, my sweet" Stunray finally mentioned, as he knew that Stingray had been praying for femme seekerlings.

"Which one is that?" Stingray asked, curious as to which prayer request Stunray was referring to.

"Maybe this time he will bless us with precious little seekerling femmes" Stunray replied, hopeful that this was the case.

"Maybe, but femmes or mechs, we will love them no matter what" Stingray stated and she led her mate to their berth where she spoiled him rotten with love and attention before both fellow into a pleasant recharge, setting their systems so that if the sparklings needed them, one or both adults would awaken.

Meanwhile, in Iacon, Mirage and Illusion were visiting the place where the towers used to be. The towers had been destroyed by Megatron and were not rebuilt. Mirage, Prowl, and Illusion had urged Optimus and the others not to rebuild them for fear the old system would return if these types of towers were ever constructed again. When Optimus heard that, he banned building towers like the ones that had been destroyed. He would let shorter tall buildings that would house all types of bots be built, but as for what had once been the towers, Optimus banned such buildings from being made. Mirage, Prowl, and Illusion were glad and grateful.

"I am glad that the towers will never be rebuilt" Illusion told his brother.

"Me too" replied Mirage, "there were just too many bad things that happened in such an environment."

"Mirage, not everything was bad" Illusion reminded Mirage of.

"But there was very little good, at least that I remember – being isolated, being beaten, being unwanted" Mirage stated to mention as he thought back to what had happened to him. He unwillingly shook at the chilling memories that came to mind. They were so painful and deeply embedded in his processor.

"Mirage, I know those memories will always haunt you, but at some point, you have to let the past remain in the past. That doesn't mean you can't still feel hurt or that the feelings that you feel are unimportant. What it means is that you have to allow yourself the chance to embrace the present and the future and all the good things they hold" Illusion replied, holding his twin close. Mirage realized that while Illusion was right, it wasn't that simple but Mirage said nothing and just let his twin hold him. Mirage was glad he still had one family member from his original family that loved him and that had survived much of what Mirage had. It made things easier for Mirage.

Meanwhile, out in space, Starscream was growing ever closer to making his plans come to life. He just needed a little more time, unaware that Optimus had been preparing all Citadels, above and below the ground, for an attack. Each citadel stood ready, just in case they were the next to be attacked. Optimus was especially concerned about Iacon. Not because of himself, but because of all the bots who lived in the citadel. Optimus had a bad feeling that Starscream's target was Iacon itself and so, while all other citadels were prepared, Optimus made sure that Iacon was especially prepared. Optimus just hoped that Starscream would be captured the next time he attacked. But only time would tell.


	84. Chapter 84

Since Starscream was taking so long to finalize his plans, he had no idea that most citadels on and under the surface of Cybertron will fully rebuilt now, with the exception of a few new citadels that Optimus had felt needed to be constructed so that all bots had a citadel to belong to and that no one citadel felt too overcrowded. And while Optimus watched over and tried to be the best Prime he could, he had no idea that each citadel's leader was preparing something that they knew their Prime would need.

Silverbolt, Chromia, Artic Cat, and many other citadel leaders met in secret, as all wanted to help out their current Prime. "Starscream is still out there and remains a great threat to all of us, but especially to our Prime" Artic Cat started off with.

"His many threats have stated that his intention is not to just go after the citadels and destroy them, but he especially wishes to rid us of our beloved Prime" Silverbolt added.

"Our current Prime has done so much for all of us, to keep us and our loved ones safe. We must do our best to keep him safe. We know that he would never ask for this, so that is why we must do this in secret from our Prime" Chromia added.

"What is your idea?" the leader from another citadel asked.

"Since we know Starscream is still a great threat, I propose that each of us sends a small battalion of our finest soldiers to protect the Prime, as Starscream's first target is likely to be Iacon" Artic Cat answered, unaware that he himself was sparked thanks to some adult fun with his mate.

"I second the proposal and I am willing to send troops to help guard our Prime, as he has worked hard to try and keep all of us safe" Chromia stated, remembering the bots Optimus had sent to her when he figured her citadel might be next on the attack list.

"I also agree" Silverbolt stated. "Will you all join us? It is for our homes and our Prime."

The other citadel leaders needed no further encouragement and many of them were grateful to the current Prime for all he had done and tried to do. The other leaders agreed as well. "thank you, my friends" Chromia replied, thankful to see the other citadel leaders were just as committed to helping the Prime as she was.

"Now we can't let our Prime know about this, because should he sense it, he will send bots back to their citadels as he doesn't want to leave any citadel vulnerable just because of him. So please be discreet in sending in your best fighters" Artic cat reminded the others. They all nodded.

"Now that we are in agreement, let us start to slowly send in our fighters in hopes to help those who are already in the citadel of Iacon" Silverbolt stated and soon the meeting was adjourned and the citadel leaders went back to their respective citadels, carefully looking over all the bots in their citadel to make sure they sent the best to Iacon. It didn't take long for most to pick out the bots, they jut had to be careful about how they sent them to Iacon.

Meanwhile, inside Iacon, Primus had made sure that Optimus had no clue about the citadel leaders meeting or what they had planned, as this was part of Primus' plan to not only protect the Prime and his family, but also to allow eth capture of the no-good terrorizing seeker known as Starscream. Optimus went about his duties as Prime, knowing that he was most likely the target of Starscream. Optimus trusted Primus that no matter what happened, things would turn out right.

Unknown to Optimus and Mirage, Jazz and Prowl caught wind of what was truly going on outside the walls of Iacon with the leaders, as Chromia and Silverbolt had let the bot know, as they needed Jazz and Prowl's expertise on how to pull this off. Jazz gave some advice on being stealthy while Prowl laid out a plan for the other citadels to help out, both Jazz and Prowl knowing that Optimus would never approve of this if he knew. So, Prowl and Jazz kept this a secret, even from their adopted sons Mirage and Illusion. They hated to leave Illusion in the dark, but they knew with the twin bond, accidents could happen and if Mirage learned over the bond, he would tell Optimus. And even though it hurt to keep the secret, keep it they did.

Slowly, and with the aid of Prowl and Jazz, the best fighters from all over planet Cybertron slowly and carefully made their way to Iacon. Prowl and Jazz welcomed each bot, informing them of important information and how best to blend in until they time they were needed. All the warriors who were sent to Iacon were glad that they had been selected for this most important task – protecting the Prime and his family, for all of the soldiers had in some way or form been saved or assisted by Optimus and/or Mirage. They felt that this was the way they could pay the Prime back for all his help.

Meanwhile, finally getting close to pulling off his insane scheme, Starscream began to brief the few bots he had with him. He informed them that this time, they were taking the fight straight to the goody-two-shoes Prime and focusing on destroying him, as attacking the outlying citadels had failed to lure out the Prime for Starscream to destroy. The other mechs were a bit nervous, though they didn't' show it. They had joined Starscream to help him out, but they hadn't expected that this was how they would help. But since they feared Starscream's wrath, they agreed to do as asked, each hoping that Optimus wouldn't kill them for this attack, as each knew attacking the Prime could be seen as treason and be sentenced by death if the Prime so ordered it. They knew this was most likely a mission they would never return from.


	85. Chapter 85

Thanks to Prowl and Jazz, as well as Orion and Ironhide, Optimus was unaware of all the best warrior bots gathering in Iacon. He would have had a fit if he had known, as he didn't want to be seen as more important than any other bot. Jazz and Prowl kept Hide and Orion informed of any new bots that came. Orion though was worried.

"Something wrong, Love?" Hide asked, after receiving the latest comm on new "troop arrivals".

"I feel awful for hiding this from my own son" Orion revealed, worry showing through.

Ironhide sighed. He could understand that, but he had to remind Orion of one thing. "I know you feel bad for hiding this for now, but I know you would feel worse if you lost your son."

Orion didn't like being reminded of that, but Ironhide did have a point. Orion didn't know what he would do if he ever lost his son Orion Pax, now known as Optimus Prime. "I still don't like this, but I will help I only to protect my precious son."

"Thank you love" Hide stated, glad that Orion was still on board with this whole plan. Both knew that the Prime's sparking day was coming, and like many of those who came "invited", these two had figured that Starscream would do his worst right when Starscream figured the Autobots had let their guard down the most – at a celebration.

Elsewhere in Iacon, Illusion was starting to suspect something, as he noticed more and more bots that had come to "visit" from other citadels on Cybertron, many from far away. He found it odd that they would all decide to visit at this particular time, but he chalked it up to the fact that the Prime's sparking day was soon coming and many had been invited for that. Little did he suspect the real truth of why these bots had chosen to come to Iacon at this very crucial point in time.

Meanwhile, out in space, Starscream was making his final plans. He had learned that the Prime's sparking would soon be celebrated in the citadel of Iacon, where the Prime resided. Many bots would be invited to come. It would be the perfect time for the despicable bot to put his plans in motion, for Starscream figured that if he attacked on that day, most bots would not be expecting it and the Prime would be out and about instead of inside his protective dwelling. Starscream smiled as he could knock out lots of Autobots at once with little firepower or effort. This seemed like the perfect plan. Now all Starscream had to do was wait until the day of the celebration, and then and only them would he attack.

Elsewhere, in the underground citadel of Vos, Stunray, though sparked, was helping his mate with the little ones. "I don't understand something, love?" Stunray stated.

"And what is that?" Stingray answered.

"Supposedly, Thundrecracker, Sunshine, Skywarp and Starscream all went through Seeker heat, yet we could return them to sparklings? How is that possible?" Stunray asked, having learned such form the bots Optimus had captured with the seekers.

"Because, my love, forced seeker heat will not permanently set a seeker as a full seeker when said seeker was forced to grow up by machine" stingray tried to explain.

"Really?" Stunray asked, not quite believing what he was hearing. It just sounded not quite right.

"Really, my love. You see, Megatron had somehow learned of our seeker invention to change bots ages and tried to make his own version of the device. However, he didn't possess the correct knowledge of how to use it like we do. He tried to use it in ways that made it a torture device on all bots instead of careful, controlled scientific experiment used on criminals or to save loved ones. His forcing our grandson's sons to grow up too fast never actually allowed Starscream or any of the others to experience true seeker heat, even with ancient evil seekers forcing it on them. Hence, we were able to save them" Stingray explained to her very curious mate.

"Makes sense now that you say that. True seeker heat only comes once a real seeker comes of real age to have it" Stunray stated, happy that things were going so well. Then Stunray thought about the Prime's sparking day that was coming forth and Starscream still being on het loose. "Has anyone of our warriors headed to Iacon for the Prime's party?"

"Oh yes, love, Artic has sent our best warriors to the party that Mirage is planning. They will help and be there to hopefully catch the last of our grandson's sons, Starscream. If they do catch him, they will immediately bring him back here."

"Excellent. I hope all goes well and that the Prime is kept safe, as he has done such a wonderful job looking out for all of us" Stunray stated, really hoping that the Prime stayed safe, as Optimus was a well-liked Prime.

"Me too, love, me too." Stingray replied, hoping much like her spark mate that all would go well and Starscream would soon be added to their growing brood.

Back in Iacon, Mirage was busy in the Prime's dwelling, taking care of all the little ones and still preparing for the big surprise party to come. Optimus didn't know it was coming, as Mirage had made sure the party would be a surprise to the Prime. Optimus would have never agreed if he knew what his mate was really planning, as Optimus didn't like that much attention. Of course, Mirage didn't know that the only bots who were sent for the party were the best soldiers from each citadel. Mirage had wanted all bots to feel welcome, but the bots of other citadels knew that the Prime was vulnerable and so they had chosen to send the best soldiers. Soon, it would be time to see just what would happen come the Prime's sparking day.


	86. Chapter 86

As the Prmie's sparking day drew nearer, the citadel of Iacon slowly filled with more and more bots. And while Opitmus and Mirage didn't notice as much, the bots who were assigned as guards for the citadel appreciated it. For all seemed to know just how important the Prime was, and for this prime, they would gladly lay their lives down, as this Prime had really made all feel welcome no matter what.

Mirage continued with preparations with help from Illusion. The twins knew that while Optimus didn't like this kind of attention, they knew it was important for Optimus to have such a party for the reason that all the bots would really feel like they belonged if they had a chance to celebrate such a thing with and for the Prime. They both hoped all went well.

Meanwhile, out in space, Starscream noticed that the mood of Iacon seemed to be changing. He knew the day and time were drawing near to when the Prime would have his sparking day, as Starscream remembered that Megatron's sparking day was soon and that Optimus and Megatron were twins. Starscream figured that it would be the best time to cause the most damage as the bots wouldn't be paying any attention to him. "Alright, you foul bots, we will move out soon" Starscream screeched at the few remaining bots he had left.

"Are you sure that is the best time commander?" One asked, unknowingly pissing off Starscream.

"Yes, and it is LORD Starscream to you" Starscream growled as he grabbed the bot who had dared question Starscream's plan and squeezed his neck painfully. The bot groaned but didn't do anything further, hoping not to be slaughter. "Now we have an understanding" Starscream stated before dropping the bot to the ground.

Back in Iacon, the bots who had come from various other citadels were mingling with bots they hadn't really met before but were glad to have met. Prowl and Jazz tried to help out as much as they could and as discreetly as they could.

"So how come we were all sent here to Iacon? I know the Prime is having his sparking day, but why did our leaders send us?" asked Broken Arrow, a powerful and top soldier of his citadel, Feron.

"Yes, how come we were sent?" another bot that had come with Broken Arrow asked.

Jazz overheard the question, as Broken Arrow had asked another group who had also come from another Citadel. "My friends" Jazz greeted both groups. Both groups were surprised, as they hadn't expected to be greeted already and by such a legendary bot. "Fear not, I mean no harm. But I can answer your question."

"You can?" asked Broken arrow, with both groups looking to Jazz.

"You see, the Prime's sparking day is coming. The Prime's mate had sent out invitations to all the Citadels for bots to come and celebrate with the Prime" Jazz got as far as before he was interrupted by a young soldier.

"By why would our citadels send us and not just regular bots?" the young guard asked.

"Because, as everyone who fights for freedom knows, Starscream is still on the loose. And with the upcoming celebration, the citadels leaders outside of Iacon felt that this party would be a time when Starscream was most likely to attack our Prime, and so, they chose to send as a representative of each citadel the best soldiers to protect the Prime from an attack that will most likely come during the celebration" Jazz explained.

Broken Arrow nodded, as now that that was explained, things made sense. "We will then guard the Prime with our lives" Broken stated.

"A word of caution, though" Jazz stated, "Optimus Prime would not be happy with the leaders of the other Citadels if he knew that they had sent their best guards here to protect him, as he feels that every citadel should have the best protection, not just Iacon and not just the Prime. To our Prime, all bots are precious and should be guarded just like him."

Broken Arrow nodded, as he realized that the Prime had not asked for this, the other citadels' leaders had done this because they didn't want their Prime that they willingly served under to be harmed. "We will remain discreet until the time arrives that we are needed" Broken Arrow stated, lowering his tone so that he no longer sounded like a guard, but just another visiting bot to the citadel. Jazz was relieved and let the groups "mingle" in with the other bots in the Citadel. Jazz could only hope that Mirage and Illusion didn't have any idea about the bots who had been sent by the other Citadels.

Meanwhile, oblivious to the whole thing going on around him, Optimus was hard at work, making sure that other citadels were doing well and that the work to continue restoring Cybertronian Citadels continued, as while there were not many left to restore, it was important to make sure all were restored and that bots could continue to live in each citadel in peace. Optimus checked in with each Citadel leader that Optimus had selected as the citadel leader and got an update from each. All were thankfully able to hide about what they had done to protect the prime and about the Celebration to come. Frankly, Optimus had let himself forget about his own upcoming sparking day as he had so much work to do as Prime and as a father and a loving mate.

The next few days went slowly or quickly by, depending on who you asked, and the day before the celebration was scheduled to happen, all the bots from visiting citadels that were going to be sent as a representative of their Citadel were sent. Iacon was full of the best guards and fighters from every other citadel and from those who lived in Iacon. No one would be letting their guard down, as most likely, the next day, the Prime would likely be attacked by the no good Con Starscream, and all were prepared.


	87. Chapter 87

The next day, when the Sun arose on Iacon, Mirage was the first one up in the Prime's family. He rushed to get the little ones, all nearly 20 of them, cleaned and ready for the big day. The older ones helped get the younger ones ready. Most of the Sparklings had no idea what was going to happen, though Keeper, Flasher, Slugbug, and Kryptonight had a feeling that something was up.

"Mom, why are you rushing around so much?" Flasher asked, wanting to know more about what might be up.

"Well, you remember, today is your father's sparking day" Mirage stated.

"So, he is probably just going to head to work, forgetting about it" Keeper stated.

"Not if I can help it" Mirage stated, slightly excited about what was to come as he was trying to hide his full excitement.

"Mom, what have you done?" Kryptonight asked, worried.

"Many bots wanted to be able to see the Prime and with today being his sparking today, I thought it would be a good time" Mirage stated.

"You mean like a party?" Flasher asked, excited about what it could mean.

"Something like that" Mirage stated, not wanting to reveal too much.

"Mom, you know dad doesn't like surprise parties" Keeper stated, not trying to be a party pooper but still acting like one.

"Yes, but he has worked so hard. All the Autobots and neutrals he has helped believe that he needs a break and time to see them" Mirage explained, wanting to remind Optimus of the bots who served under him and supported him as Prime.

"I just hope dad doesn't flip out" Keeper stated, sounding too much like his father.

"I don't think he will" Mirage stated, a little upset that his own sparklings weren't supporting this.

Flasher picked up on it right away, as did Bug. "I'm sorry mom. We hope all goes well" Flasher stated for his siblings while Bug nodded.

Fortunately, they had stopped talking about just before Optimus appeared. Keeper spotted his father first. "Morning, dad, and happy sparking day" Keeper stated, slowly walking over to give his father a hug.

"thank you, Keeper" Optimus stated, hugging Keeper who was nearly as big and tall as Optimus himself. Mirage smiled at the sight as the other sparklings and younglings headed over to wish their father a happy sparking day. Mirage patiently waited for his own turn to wish Optimus a happy sparking day. Optimus smiled as each sparkling reminded him of the specialness of this day. Optimus had no clue this was just the beginning. "Thank you all for you sparking day wishes" Optimus cheerfully responded to his sparklings.

"Mama has a surprise for you" Flasher stated, worrying Mirage a bit, as Mirage had hoped no one would say anything yet.

Thinking it was only a small gift, Optimus smiled. "Really now?" Optimus asked curiously, looking at his mate. "How about you young ones go elsewhere for a bit while I talk to your mother?"

The young ones took off, hoping that Mirage would be able to pull this off, especially since the young ones felt their mother was just trying to support their father. But before Mirage could say anything, Illusion arrived, alone. "Happy sparking day, Optimus, sir."

"thank you, Illusion, but I didn't expect you to visit so early" Optimus stated, starting to get a bit suspicious about this whole thing.

"Come with us, sir" Mirage finally stated, hoping that Optimus would like his "surprise." Optimus followed the twins, wondering what in the world was going on and not quite sure that what was going on was a good thing.

Soon, the trio arrived outside on the lowest balcony of the Prime's place. Outside the Prime's place, the streets were filled with bots, lots of bots, most who had traveled from far and wide to be here on this day. Optimus was stunned. He hadn't expected such a big deal to be made about his sparking day. As far as he was concerned, even as Prime, he was just another bot. "Surprise, Optimus sir" Illusion yelled.

In response to what Illusion had said, the whole crowd seemed to call out in unison, "Happy Sparking day, Optimus Prime."

Optimus was stunned, touched, and felt a bit out of place. He hadn't expected this at all, as Optimus didn't care much for surprises of any kind. "Thank you for your sparking day wishes" Optimus finally said. He felt awkward speaking from the balcony to all the bots that had gathered. Optimus soon headed down and out into the streets in the midst of all the bots who had gathered, as he preferred to be a bot just like all the other bots who had gathered. Mirage and Illusion went with Optimus and soon the celebration began.

Optimus hadn't expected this at all, and while he wasn't thrilled that Mirage had done this behind his back, Optimus was realizing just how much his leadership meant to those who served under him. Optimus stopped and talked with as many bots as he could. He was amazed that some had come form so far away just to celebrate this special day. Optimus still hadn't quite figured out that most of the bots were the best guards and soldiers from the citadels that they had come from. Jazz had made it quite clear that the soldier and guard bots were to say nothing about that.

Meanwhile, out in space not too far from the celebration happening in Iacon, Starscream was prepared for his full-frontal assault on the Citadel, as the day had arrived. Starscream prepped his troops and they silently headed for Iacon. Starscream couldn't believe his optics. It seemed like things were finally coming together for him. Starscream was determined to succeed where his mentor Megatron had failed. "This time, there will be no escape for you, Optimus Prime" Starscream thought evilly, "you and the Matrix of Leadership will be mine. And with those dark thoughts, Starscream made his descent towards the citadel with his few remaining troops, unaware that his plans would not work out as he had planned.


	88. Chapter 88

As the festivities went on, Starscream and his few remaining rogue bots drew ever closer to the citadel of Iacon. All but Starscream seemed to sense that this mission would be a mission they most likely would not return from, but sense they followed Starscream and his lead, they were making their way towards the citadel.

At the southern gate of the citadel, an Autobot sentry observed the rogue bots approaching. Using a silent signal that only went between the guards, the sentry sent a signal to every bot who worked as a guard in the citadel, whether they were from the citadel or not. All the bots carefully prepared, thankfully Optimus was none the wiser, and was enjoying this time in meeting with bots and getting to know more of those who served under him or lived under his rule.

Closer to the southern gate, a small group of guard bots carefully pulled Jazz aside. It was Broken arrow and his group. "I hate to inform you, sir, but your sentry has detected rogue bots on their way into the citadel, coming from the south" Broken Arrow Informed Jazz.

"I see. Do we have the southern gate protected?" Jazz asked.

"We have a few bots there, but not many, as we figured they would likely fly in from the west or east" Broken Arrow revealed.

"I need you to stealthily beef up security around the gate that they are approaching" Jazz stated.

"Yes sir" Broken stated and he carefully led a few more bots towards the southern gate of the Citadel.

Jazz had no choice but to comm Ironhide at the revelation. "Jazz to Ironhide, come in Ironhdie" Jazz commed.

"Ironhide here, what did you need, Jazz?" Hide asked, sensing he should be glad he was alone.

"We have trouble approaching the southern gate of the citadel" Jazz replied.

"Trouble? What Kind of trouble?" Ironhide asked.

"The unwelcome kind" Jazz replied, not wanting to say more than he needed to say to get the message across.

"Understood" Hide stated, and he began to alert the local guards, unaware that all knew what was coming, as did all the guards who had come from far away.

Meanwhile, as Optimus enjoyed his sparking day and as the guards secretly and silently prepared for the attack on Iacon, Starscream was flying in, unaware that he and his posse had been spotted from a long way off. Starscream could hear the crowd cheering as well as happy music playing and it made him angrier. "I'll get that Prime if it the last thing I do" Starscream angrily yelled as they approached.

IT wasn't too much longer before Starscream and his posse were right over the gate of the citadel. They noticed no guards on het gate wall, unaware that the guards had hidden themselves from the sight of the flyers. This will be too easy, thought Starscream as he headed for the middle of the citadel, hoping to destroy all this love and peace junk as well as the Prime.

Meanwhile, in the citadel, Optimus didn't realize he was being guided to safety. The bots he was meeting were careful to hide their intent and engaged the Prime enough so that he had no idea that they were watching out for his safety. Mirage stayed close by his mate. He sensed something was off, but figured it was just his nerves about Optimus not liking his sparking day surprise. Optimus had no idea that he was meeting many warriors who were ready to defend the Prime at all costs. To him, each bot was important no matter what life they had chosen.

AS another warrior/guard bot was seeing that the Prime was getting into a safe place, the guard called on another bot to come to him. This other guard bot was bigger than most guard bots were, but had joined in order to protect the Prime. The larger guard bot came up to the one who had sent him a code. "It is time" the older and shorter guard bot stated.

"Yes sir" said the taller, younger guard and soon, the taller younger guard looked like the Prime, while the real Prime was safe inside one of the buildings in Iacon, still chatting with other bots who had come to the celebration.

And just after the plan had been put into effect, Starscream and his band of rogue bots began blasting the downtown of Iacon, trying to kill as many bots as possible and especially the Prime. But instead of turning and running, as Starscream and the others had figured would happen, these bots stood their ground and began fighting back. Some took unarmed citizens of Iacon to other safe places while some blasted back at Starscream and his troops.

Inside, Optimus heard the fire and tried to head out, but was prevented from doing so. "Let me leave" he stated.

"No, Prime, I hate to disobey orders, but I cannot allow you to leave" the warrior bot stated.

"And why not?" Optimus demanded to know.

"Because Starscream and his posse are here, and their objective is to kill many, including you, sir."

Now Optimus was not happy to hear that. "I must fight to save those who serve under me and live under me" Optimus stated, trying to get outside.

"No, sir. You are being protected" the bot answered.

"Why am I protected? I am no better than any other bot" Optimus replied.

"You are a Prime who is much loved by all, and because you are loved by all, we have come to keep you safe. For you see, sir, the bots left out there aren't unarmed civilian bots. They are the best warrior/guard bots from every citadel on this planet, coming here to keep you safe. We don't want to lose you" the young bot stated.

Optimus was in awe, but still, he refused to be stopped. "I must go out there and fight with them" he stated and Optimus broke through the barrier that had been there to keep him in. He wasn't going to allow himself to stand by why those who served under him were maimed or killed on his watch. Mirage could only watch, as his mate went into the fray. Mirage just hoped Optimus would survive.


	89. Chapter 89

Optimus headed out into the fray as blaster fire and explosions were heard and seen all around him. He knew he had to join in this fight, as he could never live with himself as Prime if he didn't. He soon found his way to where the worst of the fighting was. Optimus soon arrived at the scene, seeing many of those who had so far stood to fight injured. Optimus didn't like seeing that and so he hopped right into the fray, blasting those who were attacking left and right. Optimus had one objective – stop Starscream. Not kill him, just stop him, as Optimus remembered vividly the order he had made regarding Starscream and his triplet brothers.

Without realizing their Prime was among them, the warriors fought on, they downed most of the rogue bots and already had them either dead or in custody. The last few, including Starscream, were still putting up a difficult fight. The young warrior bot who had been made to look like the Prime was taking much of the fire, as the Prime was Starscream's target. The young bot fired back, much like the Prime would. Starscream and his still flying rogue bots were taking hits, but were not yet willing to come to the ground to fight.

"Where is the worst of it, soldier?" Optimus asked one of the bots he came upon.

"over there, sir" the soldier stated and pointed, not even looking that he was answering the Prime. The soldier was fighting the invasion and thought a higher up warrior was asking for an update, and so he didn't turn around. Optimus headed to the area of the worst fighting, near the estate of the Prime where the young look alike was holding his ground.

Meanwhile, as the battle raged, Mirage was worried. Here his mate was supposed to be celebrating his sparking day and this all happened. Mirage felt guilty as all get out as it had been Mirage's idea to have this stupid party. Mirage knew Optimus didn't like parties and didn't like big celebrations but Mirage had done it anyway in hopes of showing Optimus how much the Prime meant to all bots.

The guards who were guarding Mirage may not have noticed it, but another bot did – Orion, who had been sent to the same area for Protection. "Mirage, you can't blame yourself" the older Orion stated.

"But if I hadn't had this party, this never would have happened" Mirage answered.

"Mirage, this attack would have happened whether the party happened or not. Starscream was looking for a big gathering to attack the Prime at. If it wouldn't have been this, it would have been another time" Orion stated.

Mirage looked to his mother-in-law. Orion was right but Mirage still felt guilty. "I…I suppose you are right" Mirage finally stated, feeling defeated and useless.

"You know something, Mirage, you don't have to stay here. You can go out and help your mate take down Starscream if you wish" Orion stated, hoping getting Mirage's attention elsewhere would help.

"Optimus would never allow that" Mirage stated.

Orion knew that was the truth but he had a feeling that these words needed to be spoken as if Primus was saying something. "I know, but I think for this fight, you must go as I think only you and your ability with stop Starscream" Orion told Mirage.

Mirage thought about it. Maybe Orion was right. "But what about our little ones?" Mirage asked.

"Fear not, they and you will be safe" Orion stated, though the words were not his own.

Mirage realized then where the words must have come from – Primus. And so, using his ability, Mirage headed out, unseen by anyone. He had a mission, and to do it, he began climbing up the tallest nearby building. And once he reached the top, he was at the level where Starscream and his last couple bots were flying. Mirage just had to wait his chance.

Meanwhile, the fighting continued with Optimus joining in, though almost no warrior/guard bot realized it, as most assumed it was the decoy who was moving through. Optimus fired upon the attacking bots, injuring them but still not bringing any of them down. The battle remained intense.

Suddenly, it seemed like Starscream had vanished, while his two or three others left continued to fight. Starscream was looking to sneak around a different way to find the Prime. Mirage saw the bot fly through, away from most of the fighting. Mirage now realized why he was needed and needed to be here. Starscream grew closer and closer, and once close enough, Mirage jumped on the unwitting seekers back, with Mirage still using a mirage to hide himself.

Starscream suddenly felt the excess weight but couldn't figure out what it was or where it came from. HE tried to continue flying, but it was difficult, as his systems were carrying too much weight. Mirage just clung to the seeker, knowing they were high in the sky. Starscream couldn't take the extra weight and soon began to descend towards the ground. The other rogue bots, sensing what the leader of them was doing, also descended towards the ground. Mirage just hoped that help would come once they were on the ground.

Optimus, in the heart of the battle, noticed the change and soon, the battle wasn't much of a battle and the remaining rogue bots, minus Starscream, were captured. Optimus ordered that the captured bots be placed in the brig and the warrior bots, though stunned to see the real Prime, did as ordered. Prime looked at each and was concerned when Starscream was not among them.

"Where is your leader?" Optimus demanded of one of them.

"Like I'd tell you" the defiant bot replied as he headed off. Optimus didn't like that answer and made sure that bot was the first on the list to be punished.

Then Optimus got a comm. "Um, Prime sir, I could use some help" the comm came sounding like Mirage.

"What do you need help with Soldier?" Optimus asked, not wanting to let on that if this was Mirage, Optimus was extremely worried.

"I have Starscream, but I am having trouble keeping him secured" the reply came.

"Where are you soldier? Tell me, and help will be on the way" Optimus replied. The coordinates came back to Optimus and soon he and a few others came. They were stunned by what they saw – Starscream was squirming as if something was on top of him, but nothing was seen. Optimus had a bad feeling about this. "Soldier, reveal yourself."

At the command and unaware that he was slightly injured from all of this, Mirage revealed himself pinning down the defiant seeker. While the guards were shocked, Optimus was trying not to show his worry about all of this. "Guards bring our captive to the special bring made for him and then contact Artic Cat" Optimus stated, and soon the guards took away Starscream, leaving Mirage and Optimus alone. Mirage could only hope Optimus wouldn't lay into Mirage for all of this.


	90. Chapter 90

As the injured and still defiant Starscream was led away to his fate, Optimus was left alone with his mate who had captured the final rogue con. Optimus could sense that Mirage feared how Optimus would react to all of this. Optimus knew he had to be careful or he could drive his mate away and he needed his mate. "Mirage, please, tell me what led you out here to do this?" Optimus asked, concern in his voice but not anger.

Mirage's head shot up, stunned that he was not being yelled at by his mate for making an "irresponsible" choice. Mirage had to think how to put it before he answered. And after a few second pause, Mirage softly spoke. "I…I was called by Primus to come out here. Not to be in the fighting, but to help stop it." Mirage could only hope his mate believed him.

Optimus was going to respond when he saw his mother and several others leave the safety of the building that they had been in. And while the others headed away, Orion headed right for Optimus and his mate. "Prime, Sir, I can explain" Orion stated, seeing that Mirage still was worried that Optimus wouldn't believe the Illusionist.

"Go on, Orion" Optimus responded, wanting to hear what his mother had to say about all this, as Orion was with Mirage after Optimus had left to go help out in the fighting.

"I encouraged Mirage to help, as I felt Primus was using me to call Mirage out to help you and the others. I did not know how Primus wanted to use Mirage, but I knew if Mirage was being called, he needed to answer that call" Orion stated in a way that Optimus would understand that this was not just Mirage's choice to help but that Mirage was called.

"I see" replied Optimus, understanding and gratefulness in his optics.

"I think you should help your mate and then go check in on the wounded" Orion said, seeing the few battle scars on Mirage.

Optimus helped Mirage up off the floor and sent Mirage with Orion to see a medic. Mirage was grateful that Optimus didn't yell and Mirage went with Orion to see the nearest medic. Mirage understood why Optimus had sent Mirage off with Orion – Optimus was a good leader and needed to check on those who had fought with him.

And once Mirage was off to be seen, Optimus once again entered the area where the fighting had been greatest. Many were wounded, a few were gone, but all were happy that the last bots had been captured – the threat was over. Optimus dug right in and helped – getting the wounded to a nearby medic and helping carry those who had made the ultimate sacrifice to a place where they could be laid before being given a proper entombment.

One of those who was severely wounded was the young bot who had been made to look like Optimus. The young bot had never met the Prime and so had no idea if the plan had really worked. Optimus was a bot stunned when he saw the injured young bot as Optimus hadn't realized what those serving under him had tried to do to protect the Prime. Optimus then saw all the injuries and realized that this young bot wouldn't make it if someone didn't get the bot to a medic and quickly. Optimus scooped the young bot up and carried him.

The young bot looked at the bot who was carrying him. "Who…are you?" The young bot asked, never having met the Prime.

"My name is Optimus" Optimus replied, figuring it was no big deal that the Prime was helping those who had been hurt.

"You… you are our Prime?" the young bot asked, his life seeming to ebb.

"I am soldier, what is your name?" Optimus asked, rushing the bot to a nearby med bay, just like he would for any bot that had been this severely injured.

"I… I was never given a name" the young bot replied.

Optimus was saddened to hear that as they neared Ratchet's field med bay. "Ratchet, got a bad one here. Name is trailbreaker" Optimus stated, finally giving the young one a name.

"Get him on the table quickly" ratchet stated, and he started working on the young one while Optimus went back out to help. Optimus trusted that Ratchet would do all he could for the young bot.

Meanwhile, those living in all the other citadels throughout Cybertron heard the news that the last of the rogue bots, including Starscream, had been captured in the citadel of Iacon. All were pleased to hear the news that these threats were no more. And no one was happier to hear the news than Stunray and Stingray, who heard it directly from Artic Cat.

"Is it really true?" Stingray asked, hoping what she had heard was true.

"Yes, it is true. Starscream has been captured alive and he is being brought here by the soldiers we sent to Iacon to protect the Prime during his sparkling day celebration" Artic replied.

"Praise Primus" Stunray responded, happy that his mate was happy and that their last lost great-grandson would soon becoming home.

"I must gather the other scientists to be ready upon the arrival of the bot" Stingray stated, as she began planning to use the machine one more time.

"A word of caution. I heard that Starscream was much more difficult that his brothers. Please be careful as you move him from one place of confinement to another" Artic stated, having been warned by Prime about this.

"Who warned you about that?" Stunray asked, concerned that Artic didn't think that Stunray and Stingray could handle Starscream.

"Optimus asked me to pass that word of advice along. He feared that if the Autobots had a tough time capturing him after having missed him once, that Starscream might escape once again. I don't think that will happen as we seekers know how to capture and hold seekers, but I think Optimus was trying to help us out" Artic explained.

Then things made sense – it wasn't Artic warning them of this but Optimus. "We will take the utmost care of things, and soon, Starscream will never again be a threat to anyone" Stingray stated, biding her time until the bot would arrive.


	91. Chapter 91

As Stingray and Stunray awaited the arrival of those who had gone to the Prime's celebration and were returning with the captured Starscream, Optimus continued to monitor those who had been wounded. Mirage, having been repaired and released, also went from medic bay to medic bay checking in on bots.

"How is it going, First Aid?" Mirage asked, hoping that all was going well at this med bay.

"Been rough, but I am trying" First aid stated as he tried to fix the bot he was currently working on.

"Can I help with anything?" Mirage asked, knowing he knew little about medicine and such but he could at least lend a hand.

"Scrub up come over here and help home this down for me" First aid responded. He knew Mirage wasn't a medic, but right now that didn't matter. First aid needed a helping hand.

Mirage tried to scrub up and then walked over to the table. "Tell me how I can help" Mirage said to Aid, not sure where to jump in.

"Hold these so I can fix this other thing here" Aid stated, and Mirage did as asked. Soon, with Mirage's help, Aid was able to save the young bot that Aid had been working on. "Thanks for the help" Aid stated.

"You are welcome, Aid. I hope it helped you catch up a bit" Mirage stated.

"It did. Thanks" Aid stated.

"You are welcome. I need to go check in with another medic. I will stop a little later" Mirage stated and he headed off.

Meanwhile, Optimus had chosen to remain at the med bay where the mech he had just named trailbreaker was being worked on by Ratchet. Ratchet was worried, as this young bot had taken a lot of shots to his body. Optimus watched almost like a concerned father. "How is he doing Ratchet?" Optimus asked.

"Things would be going better if I had a medic to assist me" ratchet stated quietly.

"I know little about being a medic, but I have two hands and I am willing to help" Optimus stated.

Ratchet stopped what he was doing for just a second as those words sunk in. Ratchet hadn't expected that, but he should have. "Fine, give me a hand here" ratchet finally called out to the Prime. Optimus said nothing but helped as best he could. The two almost lost the young bot several times before he finally was fixed up and just in temporary stasis lock. Ratchet and Optimus worked on a few more bots with minor injuries before Optimus left. Needless to say, Ratchet and the bots Optimus helped were grateful to the Prime.

Elsewhere, on their way back to the underground citadel of Vos, the seekers that had been sent to Prime's celebration were on their way back with Starscream in tow. Starscream didn't make the journey easy or pleasant, and on the way back to the citadel, the bots flying Starscream back to the citadel had turned off his vocal processor as his constant whining and moaning and begging had driven them nuts.

"Boy, what a whiner" one stated after they had finally turned off the bot's vocals.

"No kidding. I hope when they fix him, they fix his voice" another stated.

"Cool it, you two. This bot belongs to Stingray and Stunray. I suggest you keep your smug comments to yourself" the third seeker stated, reminding the other two of things. Starscream was livid. Here he was trapped in a specially made cage with his vocals off and there was nothing he could do about it and no one to save his sorry hide, not even himself. These seekers knew every seeker trick including some Starscream had no clue about. But Starscream grew even more worried when he heard where he was going, as he knew his brothers had been captured and sent to that citadel. He tried to break free, but was unable to do so.

In the underground citadel of Vos, Stingray paced as she waited for the last of the three seekers to arrive, as she and her mate already had Thundercracker and Skywarp and had returned them successfully to sparklinghood. Now was the last of the three and Stingray was a bit nervous, as the machine that was used had never been used three times so close together and she wasn't entirely sure if it could handle returning another seeker to seekerlinghood as it had never been tried before.

Stunray noticed his mate was worried and he went up to her. "Energon for your thoughts love?" Stunray asked as he offered her energon.

Stingray looked at the energon and then smiled. Stunray always seemed to know just how to get her to talk to him. She took the energon, as she was low and it would taste good. "I'm worried" she said softly.

"Worried about what?" Stunray replied, drawing her close and holding her in a hug.

"I am worried the machine won't work and we won't be able to save Starscream" Stingray revealed. She had kept her worries in, but now, alone with her mate, she just couldn't hide it anymore. Stunray just held her close, knowing it was not the time to say anything. Stingray rested in her mate's arms before asking him, "Do… do you think it will be ok?"

Stunray looked at his mate. He could see she needed hope but she also wanted the truth. "Love, it is all up to Primus, not us. If it is part of his will, the machine will work and we will be granted new time with our great grandson. If it is Primus' will that Starscream is called home, then that is what will happen. We just have to trust that Primus already has decided what is best and that is the only outcome that matters. Worry will do nothing to help either way." Stingray looked at her mate, amazed at his wise words. She hadn't thought of it that way. She silently prayed and then, with renewed hope, she awaited the arrival of Starscream.


	92. Chapter 92

It didn't take much longer before the seekers who had gone to the celebration returned with their captive, who was still defiant even in capture. The seekers who were transporting the defiant seeker knew that this defiance would not last much longer, if the seeker scientists had their way with things. "I demand that you tell me what is going on!" Starscream screeched in his usual tone though it came out loud and screechy.

"You'll find out soon enough, you defiant bot" one of the captors replied. Starscream continued to sulk as his captors flew him into the underground citadel of Vos. They had a place to take the bot.

In the science lab with the special machine, Stingray and her other scientists waited for the bot to be brought to them. Stingray hoped that this would really work, as she didn't want to lose any of the precious little ones her grandson had sparked just before passing on. Thankfully, her face appeared stoic and ones who didn't know her didn't know any better that she was concerned about this.

And as Starscream was being brought to his final punishment, Optimus was still trying to help out in Iacon, as was his mate. Between the two of them, they helped out with many minor things on about and a few major things. The medics and the bots saved were grateful and in awe, though none more than Trailbreaker who had been saved by Ratchet and the Prime. Trailbreaker knew that the citadel that he had come from appreciated him but he felt alone there. Trailbreaker wanted to be part of a new citadel, one where he felt like he belonged. He hoped that he could ask someone in charge of Iacon if he could remain in Iacon.

Jazz, who was also helping in the set up med bays, noticed the young bot looked confused. "What's your name, young one?" Jazz asked.

"Prime gave me the designation Trailbreaker" Trailbreaker stated.

"Prime gave you that designation?" Jazz asked curiously with warmth in his voice.

"Yes, for you see, before that, I was given no name" Trailbreaker stated.

Jazz was saddened to hear that the bot had been given no name earlier, but smiled at the name Optimus had given to the young bot. "Do you like that name? Because I think it suits you" Jazz stated.

The young bot looked up at Jazz. "It is nice to have a designation, and I feel honored that Prime picked that name for me" the young bot answered.

"You seem like something is bothering you" Jazz stated, trying to get the young bot to talk more.

Trailbreaker sighed. "I know I have no right to ask, but I wish to remain in Iacon as a soldier and not return to my previous citadel" Trailbreaker stated.

Jazz listened, but had a question, "Why would you want to leave your old citadel?" Jazz asked, curious.

Trailbreaker looked up at Jazz and said, "while the bots there respect me, I feel alone, an outcast in my own place. I feel that here, I will no longer feel alone or like an outcast. The bots in the town never gave me a name, never made me feel important. But here, the Prime saved me, gave me a name, and I feel like I belong" Trailbreaker answered.

"I can check with the Prime to see if you can transfer and remain in Iacon if you wish" Jazz stated.

"You… you would do that for me?" Trailbreaker asked, daring to hope.

"I can't make any promises, but I can try" Jazz stated.

"Please do, as I would love to remain" trailbreaker stated, before falling back into recharge as his wounds were still healing. Jazz smiled and headed off to find Optimus to see what the Prime would say.

Meanwhile, Starscream, bound and gagged, was being brought to the special area where the machine lay in wait for him. All systems were prepared and ready to go, with eerie green lights showing down the dark hallway that Starscream was being brought down. Starscream didn't show it, but he was freaked out and worried the closer they came to those strange lights. Starscream felt like he was being dragged into the twilight zone, though this wasn't a dream.

Finally, upon reaching the special lab, Starscream was carefully unbound from his precious restraints and then placed into new ones on the device that was humming softly in the room. Starscream could see that many scientists were in the room and were carefully moving about to set up for something, as if some kind of test was going to happen soon. Starscream would have yelled and screeched out if it weren't for the fact that his vocal processors had been turned off.

"The test subject is ready, Stingray" Starscream overheard one of the mech scientists saying to the seeker femme scientist who seemed to be overseeing all of this. Starscream vaguely recognized the name from the time he and his posse had attacked Feron. Starscream struggled fiercely as he also remembered when Megatron had put him on such a device. The seeker was in a panicked frenzy when he heard what sounded like the machine turning on. Starscream braced for intense pain.

Stingray, watching over all that was going on, just hoped that it was Primus' will that Starscream be returned to his sparkling hood. She watched carefully as the machine roared to life and slowly began its process for age reduction on the defiant seeker. Stingray could see that Starscream was thrashing about but it seemed to get less and less as the test went on.

In another room, Stunray waited for the test to finish. He hoped, like his mate, that the machine would save their great-grandson and not destroy him. Only Primus knew the answer to that, and he wasn't ready to reveal his hand just quite yet.

Back in Iacon, Jazz approached Optimus. "Prime, a request has been brought to my attention" Jazz stated.

"Oh, what request is that?" Optimus asked, still trying to find his mate. "BY the way, have you seen Mirage?"

"No, Mirage is busy helping out, I am sure he will come home soon. But the request was from the young mech you named Trailbreaker" Jazz stated.

Optimus thought back on it, he remembered the young bot. "Yes, what did he request?" Optimus asked.

"He requested that he be reassigned from guarding his current citadel to guarding Iacon" Jazz stated.

"I must talk to his commanding officer first. If he agrees, then I will approve of the transfer" Optimus stated.

"I understand. I will let Trailbreaker know when you let me know" Jazz stated. Optimus nodded. Jazz then left, just before Mirage arrive. Optimus smiled and he and his mate went into their place to rest up for a bit.


	93. Chapter 93

Optimus rested with his mate for a short while before he decided to comm the commanding officer of the young bot. Optimus knew that it might be tough, as the young warrior seemed to be an extremely good soldier. Optimus made his way to his office, hoping for the young bot's sake that this officer would release the young bot for the reassignment.

Meanwhile, back in the underground citadel of Vos, things seemed to be progressing and Starscream began to decrease in age the longer the machine lasted on him. All seemed to be working, so far, but anything could go wrong, so the scientists that were performing the procedure proceeded carefully.

"Update on status" Stingray called out, wanting an update.

"Per his computer scan, his mind seems to be returning to sparkling hood" one scientist stated.

"But his body is not returning to sparkling size as quick as his mind is. We are trying to work on the issue as we speak" another scientist stated.

Stingray wasn't happy hearing that. "Why isn't his body returning at the same speed as his processor?" Stingray asked pointedly.

"We don't have an answer for that yet, Stingray, we are still working on it" the reply came. Stingray was not liking the looks of this. None of the scientists had ever heard of such a thing happening. They didn't know that when Starscream was first forced to grow up, his mind grew before his body. It was such a rare condition that no one had thought it could even happen.

"Keep me posted, I will not allow this bot to be harmed in this process" Stingray ordered.

"Yes, ma'am" the others responded and worked harder to make sure this seeker safely transitioned back to sparklinghood.

Meanwhile, Optimus was still trying to get ahold of Trailbreaker's commanding officer, which wasn't as easy as Optimus had thought it would be. "You've reached Chromia, how may I help you, Optimus sir?" Chromia answered, seeing that there was a comm from the Prime.

"Are you Trailbreaker's commanding officer?" Optimus asked, not remembering the young bot didn't have a name before.

"Whose?" Chromia asked, confused. Optimus described the young bot to Chromia, and only then did she recognize him. "I am the leader of the citadel that he serves at. I didn't realize he had a designation now. How can I help you?"

"Chromia, I gave him a designation after I picked him up and carried him to a med bay when he told me he had never been named. He has made a request but I will not honor it unless it is ok with you" Optimus replied.

"What request has he made, sir?" Chromia asked, confused.

"He has asked to be reassigned to guarding Iacon" Optimus stated bluntly.

Chromia thought about it. She had seen the young bot in action, he was phenomenal, but she had also seen how lonely and lost he seemed to be. She also hid a secret – the young mech had been a bot she had sparked after being forcibly taken by a con and then stolen by the cons upon sparking. "I will allow this request, as I just want him happy" Chromia finally stated.

Optimus was a bit stunned at the answer. "You will allow the transfer?" Optimus asked, a bit stunned.

"Yes, I will allow it and hope he finds what he is seeking" Chromia stated, not wishing to divulge her secret.

"Then I will reassign him to Iacon and I will let him know. Optimus out" Optimus stated. He went to go talk to the young bot in person to deliver the news.

Meanwhile, in the underground citadel of Vos, Starscream no longer possessed an adult like processor, but his body was nowhere near being a sparkling yet. Stingray, worried, called off the experiment.

"But he isn't finished yet" one of the others replied, fearing that the seeker would still be dangerous.

"He won't hurt anyone now" Stingray answered. "If we leave him any longer for this time, we could lose the bot all together. We can put him back on the machine in a couple of days to see if we can return his body to the right size. I will not lose this bot today."

Though reluctant, the scientists stopped the machine for now and allowed the attached seeker to be free. While Starscream still had his adult body, his mind was that of a seekerling, and his wide optics were looking for comfort when he was released from the machine. Stingray, having called in her mate, went down to the bot. Starscream reached out for them like a young sparkling would.

"Stingray, what happened?" Stunray asked.

"His mind went back to sparkling hood before his body. I stopped the procedure for now, fearing any longer and we would lose him. We can bring him back here in a couple of days to complete the procedure." Starscream whimpered softly, he just wanted to be loved and held.

"I wish I could carry him, but I can't, as I am carrying little ones" Stunray stated.

"Call Snow or Artic cat, they will help us" Stingray stated.

Knowing Snow Cat owed Stunray a favor, Stunray called Snow, who soon came. "What is this?" Snow asked, having been unaware of what was happening.

"We were trying to save our great grandsons. This one is taking longer to transition and we are unable to carry him home" Stunray replied.

Snow smiled. "I'd be happy to help" Snow stated and he helped Stunray and Stingray take the seeker home. Stunray and Stingray were grateful. Snow soon left once his help was no longer needed.

"Just think, in a few more days, he will be just like his brothers" Stunray stated, unaware that that day would hold more than one surprise.

"Yes, it will be soon, but I am just happy that our family has been restored and Optimus was willing to save our great grandsons."

Stunray smiled. "Yes, Optimus truly is a different Prime, and for that we should all be glad." They snuggled close as they watched their little ones sleep.


	94. Chapter 94

While the seekers in the underground Citadel of Vos were waiting the obligatory few days to see if Starscream could really be retutned to seekerlinghood, many things were happening in the citadel of Iacon where the Prime lived. Many new bots moved in and a few other bots moved out to other citadels. Bots that had lived before the great wars were grateful that Optimus had kept his promise not to reinstate the class system, and no one was happier than the former pleasure bots, as they now were no longer relegated to the bottom rung of society. They could do whatever they chose, and it felt liberating and wonderful to them.

Scatter, Optimus' friend, was out and about, walking freely in the citadel of Iacon now that Starscream and his band of thugs were no longer an issue. Scatter had recently changed to a different line of work, after having gotten tired of construction work, as he didn't enjoy it. Scatter's boss would miss Scatter but wished the bot well. Scatter felt he needed to do something different, like teaching other bots to dance or working in the entertainment sector of the citadel. Scatter knew his moves were second only to those of his friend, Optimus, but since Optimus was Prime, Scatter was top dog in the dance department as far as Scatter knew.

Scatter made his way down to the entertainment area of Iacon. He hoped that his skills would land him a position somewhere here. He soon found a club that seemed to be advertising for bots who could dance and entertain others. Try-outs were today. Scatter could hardly believe his optics. He went in, hoping to impress those who were making the decisions here. There was a long line and Scatter went to the end of it, ready to wait for his try-out. Now all he had to do was wait.

Meanwhile, Optimus was seeking out young Trailbreaker, who was awaiting word from Jazz, not the Prime. Optimus asked around and soon was directed to the young bot. "I understand you wish to transfer to Iacon from your current Citadel. Is this correct?" Optimus asked gently, not wanting to cause the bot to run off.

Trailbreaker was amazed that the Prime was talking to him and then realized the question that had been asked. "I.. I asked Jazz if I could transfer. He said he would talk to you, sir" Trailbreaker replied, nervous that Optimus would not grant the request.

"I always check with a commanding officer before granting any such requests like that" Optimus replied, waiting to tell the young bot what the answer had been.

"And…and what did she have to say, sir?" Trailbreaker asked, confirming to Optimus that the young bot was indeed had a femme commander.

Optimus looked at the eager and worried young bot. "She granted your request, and so I will also, in turn, grant your request to transfer from your current Citadel to Iacon. I think you would make a fine addition the guard bots here. Of course, you will have to start at a low rank and work your way up" Optimus stated.

Trailbreaker was astonished to hear that his request had been granted, and then heard the rest of what Optimus stated. "Sir, I wasn't very high ranking at my previous citadel. I will accept whatever rank you choose and work hard to earn any higher rank" Trailbreaker replied.

Optimus smiled, though it was hidden completely by his battle mask. Few bots were like Trailbreaker, willing to accept such a deal or state that they are willing to work hard to increase their rank. "Then I accept you as a guard here. I want you to report to training tomorrow morning. A bot named Archer will be the instructor for you as well as the other new guard bots to the citadel" Optimus replied.

"Yes, sir. I will be there. What time?" Trailbreaker asked, wanting to prove himself, to both Optimus and Jazz as well as Trailbreaker's former commander at his previous citadel.

"It starts at 0600, but you need to be there by 0545 to check in" Optimus stated. Trailbreaker smiled, happy to have this opportunity and then left, preparing his first day tomorrow morning. Optimus excused himself, as he needed to head home, as Mirage was calling and the sparklings were with family. Optimus could feel in his spark exactly what Mirage was needing and so Optimus knew he needed to hurry home. He just hoped Mirage would be able to wait just a few minutes.

Meanwhile, Scatter had waited patiently in line, watching those who came in front of him. Some were good, that much was sure, and some were awful, and some should have never tried out, but Scatter wasn't about to judge them, as he knew what that was like, as he when he was in the caste of Pleasure bots before the war, he was seen as nothing but a pleasure bot even though he had other talents. Soon it was time for Scatter to strut his stuff. He only hoped he still had it after all this time. He walked onto the stage liked he owned it and put on his best moves. He wanted to shot and hoped that this would land him the opportunity he sought.

Elsewhere, in the underground citadel of Vos, Stingray and Stunray were happily taking care of their large and young family. Well, Stingray had to do most of the work, as Stunray was sparked with precious little ones, though he helped out as much as he could. Stingray appreciated it. She knew things would be easier once they could use the machine again and return Starscream to a sparkling seeker form. Stingray was surprisingly pleased by one thing, Starscream, as a sparkling had been a very affectionate sparkling. And even though he had yet to acquire his sparkling form, Starscream gushed with love for all those around him. They only hoped that when they reused the machine on him, it would not destroy him, but return him to being a seekerling. Only time would tell.


	95. Chapter 95

As the few days slowly came and went, and not only was Trailbreaker training with his new unit in Iacon, but also, Stingray realized it was once again time to try and see if Starscream, who was now a seekerling in mind, could be made into a complete seekerling. Stunray stayed home with the other seekerlings, along with his long-lost brother Surge, who had recently been located and returned to the underground citadel of Vos. Surge was grateful to help his brother and hoped all went well.

"So, Stingray is at work again, huh?" Surge stated, having come over before to help, as Surge loved the little ones and they loved him.

"Yeah, and this time, we didn't have sitters who could handle all our precious little ones at once, plus I am getting too big and too precarious to be near the lab" Stunray stated, happy to have his brother helping him.

"So what is she doing today?" Surge asked, curious as he held little Skywarp.

"Returning Starscream to a complete seekerling" Stunray stated.

"Starscream? The meanest con that ever lived?" Surge asked, unaware that Starscream and his brothers had been great-grandchildren of Stunray and Stingray.

"He wasn't sparked that way, Surge. Our three great-grandsons were stolen by Megatron and turned into the despicable bots that he wanted them to be. He forced them to grow up too fast. We want them back, as to us, they are precious because they were the last sparklings our grandson Shark sparked before he passed on" Stunray explained. He wasn't happy with how Surge had reacted, but then Stunray also realized Surge hadn't known the truth of the situation.

"Do you think it will work?" Surge asked, not realizing who he was holding and hoping it would work for his brother's sake.

"I think it will, as it worked on the other two. In fact, you are holding little Skywarp" Stunray stated, wanting to see his brother's reaction.

Surge looked at the cute little purple seekerling he held. Skywarp cooed and then flickered in and out of sight. Surge was stunned, but then believed his brother. "You really saved them?" Surge asked, wanting to know more.

"Yes, they may have been bad bots at one time, but we love them nonetheless and we want to raise them to be good seekers that we know they can be" Stunray stated. Surge just nodded, hoping that all would go well.

Meanwhile, in the lab, Stingray was preparing to try and return Starscream to a seekerling. The obeying part wasn't hard, as Starscream did as asked as Stingray spoiled the little one with love. And having wanted that love, Starscream was eager to please just to receive that love. "Alright, my little one" Stingray started in a very sweet and loving voice, "I need you to stay here for a bit so mommy can fix something." Starscream cooed softly at the loving voice. He would try and stay put for mommy. Stingray smiled and tried hard not to frighten the young bot.

The other scientists were busy preparing the machine as Stingray worked with Starscream to get the bot ready for the procedure. All knew the risks of what would happen if something went wrong – not only would Starscream possibly be terminated, but the other scientists would suffer but also, nothing was worse than a pissed off mother seeker whose little one had been harmed. And so, they triple and quadruple checked all the machinery and their math to make sure nothing was overlooked. And with Starscream in place and everything set, they began to start up the machine that would hopefully change Starscream just like it had his triplet brothers.

Meanwhile, in Iacon, trailbreaker was working hard to earn his status in the guards of Iacon. These bots were trained at a higher level as they had to guard the Prime. Trailbreaker worked hard, trying to prove himself. No matter what, he gave his all, hoping that he could advance. He stood out among his fellow new guards, some of whom admired him and tried to be like him and some of whom who hated him and wished he wasn't part of the unit.

One of those who seemed to hate Trailbreaker was a lazy bot named Afterburner who had been sent to Iacon from Freon. "I can't stand the guy" Afterburner stated to one of his fellow cadets, "It's like he can do no wrong."

"Careful what you say, Afterburner, as I have heard those who complain are demoted and even rejected from being guards at Iacon" said a young cadet by the name of Cliffjumper, who never revealed that he was the son of an officer – Jazz and Prowl.

"Well, trailbreaker burns me up" Afterburner replied, not realizing that this conversation was being overheard – by trailbreaker himself. Trailbreaker wasn't sure what to do when he overheard all of this, as Afterburner continued to complain about Trailbreaker to Cliffjumper, so he went to his two friends on the cadet team.

"Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, I don't understand something" Trailbreaker told the twins, who were part of a set of triplets but Bluestreak was in a different unit.

"What's that, trailbreaker?"

"I work my aft off, I try really hard and yet, Afterburner and others like him seem to hate me" trailbreaker stated before telling what he had overheard.

"You need to ignore them" Sideswipe stated, "and remember, you are here for a reason."

Sunstreaker, who went by Sunny, agreed. "You need to let it roll off your back. He's just jealous" Sunny tried to reassure his friend. Trailbreaker nodded and headed for his room, unaware of what his friends were going to do about this little problem.

"Sides, we need to take care of this, our way" Sunny stated, knowing full well he could be thrown in the brig for this.

"Sunny, I don't like where you are going with this, but yes, I agree that Afterburner needs to be taken care of. Just remember, mom doesn't want a call of you being in the brig again" Sides reminded his twin.

"I think what I was thinking of would make mom laugh" Sunny stated and the twins went to pull a prank on afterburner, who ended up with pink paint all over him, paint that was difficult to scrub off.

The commander Archer overheard about the prank and called all parties to his office, with the exception of Trailbreaker. "I want to know what is going on in this unit" Archer demanded.

"They planted a paint bomb in my room, sir" Afterburner quickly replied.

"Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, explain yourselves" Archer stated.

"He gave our friend a hard time, so we were just returning the favor, sir" Sunny answered, proud of what he had done.

"I'm sending all three of you to the brig" Archer stated. Thankfully for Sunny and Sides, Archer was unable to get ahold of Ratchet or Wheeljack. Archer was able to get ahold of Afterburner's guardian who was none too pleased about all of this, but was grateful for the update. Now it was just time for the young cadets to grow up a bit.


	96. Chapter 96

Finally, after a while more of trying, Sunny and Sideswipe's commander got a hold of Ratchet and let the old medic know what had occurred. Ratchet, though stern acting on the comm, laughed inside, as this was minor and funny. This was extremely minor compared to some of the pranks Sunny and sides had pulled at times. Ratchet knew the guard had to be strict, and so he responded accordingly. Needless to say, Ratchet approved of those two being put in the brig to cool off for a bit. For while he knew all his sparklings had good sparks, every now and then they did need discipline.

Meanwhile, in the underground citadel of Vos, something strange was occurring. Starscream's body was reducing in size to the size of a seekerling, but it was getting smaller than most seekerlings ever got and lived. Stingray watched in fascination and horror as Starscream's body began to shrink. By the time all was said and done, Starscream was a sleep, but he was half the size any of his triplet brothers had been and half the size of any of their other sparklings. No one knew that when he was sparked, he had been sparked small as his triplet brothers had taken almost all of the nutrients and Starscream barely made it out alive.

"STOP!" came the loud call from Stingray, fearful of what would happen if they kept going.

The other scientists stopped as they didn't want a femme mad at them, knowing femmes were dangerous when mad. "What is wrong?" one asked carefully.

"He is getting too small. If we go any further, we could end up killing him" Stingray yelled, like a fierce protective mother. Well, in a sense she had become a mother to the little one, and she wanted to protect her little one. The other scientists turned off the machine and looked over to see the end result. All were stunned.

"I... I've never seen a seekerling so small" one stated in shock, seeing the size of the little one Stingray held in her arms. Starscream was tiny.

"nor have I" replied another scientist, fearful of what had happened with the machine.

"I suggest you take him to a medic immediately" a third scientist stated, wanting the little one to live.

Stingray, seeing that the young one was scared and curling into her did as recommended, she took the little one straight to a medic after ordering the other scientists to look for anything wrong with the machine.

Kryptonight, who happened to be visiting another seeker medic, saw the two come in. "what happened?" Kryptonight asked, worried as was the other medic.

"We just used the machine to return his body to the age his processor was already at, but I have never seen such a small seekerling and one this small that has survived" Stingray answered, worried sick that the little one wouldn't survive.

"He must have been part of a multiple set" Krypto stated, knowing from his own training that this happened in multiple sets, rarely, but it did happen.

"Well, he was sparked last in a set of triplets" Stingray stated, remembering what Shark's mate had told them what seemed like eons ago.

Krypto and the other medic examined the little one. Starscream didn't like the older medic, but he seemed happy to let Krypto examine him. "Yep, he is pure sparkling" the older seeker medic stated.

"I know that" Stingray stated, as she had confirmed that in the lab.

"However, judging by his codes, he was not supposed to be very big" Krypto stated, having taken a deeper scan of the little one.

"What do you mean?" Stingray asked.

"This little one was sparked as a min seeker. A mini bot, like Bumblebee or Cliffjumper. He wasn't meant to be big. He inherited it from his sire's side of the equation. The only reason he grew up to be big this last time was that his programming was messed with. If his programming is not tampered with, he will grow to full size of a mini-bot" Krypto stated, shocking all who heard him.

"And how do you know this?" the older seeker asked.

"Ratchet taught me how to look for codes and clues in coding. I studied every bot coding I could. I studied seekers, grounders, mini-bots, and giant bots, young and old as well as any other type. I have only seen codes similar to this in seekers and in mini-bots. Hence, my deduction is that he will be a mini-bot seeker" Kryptonight replied, showing his expertise even though he was still young.

Stingray was grateful and reassured to hear that Starscream, other than being a mini-bot, was fine. HE wasn't going to die just because he was small. "anything else I should know?"

"Watch out for him around his siblings, as while Mini-bots are tough, they are also more fragile than other bots. They will also be more affectionate than other bots" Krypto stated.

When Stingray heard the affectionate part, she realized Starscream had been showing that side since his processor was changed back. She realized now she didn't have as much to fear. "Thank you. May I take him home?" Stingray asked.

"Go on, and let Stunray know what we talked about as well" Kryptonight stated, releasing the two. Stingray rushed home, excited to tell her mate the good news.

Meanwhile, back in Iacon, Trailbreaker was working hard for his commanding officer. Archer took notice as did most of the other in the troop. Little did the troop know that today they were going to get a special visitor, Mirage, who had snuck away from Optimus' watchful optics this day.

Mirage walked in unseen to watch the guards training. He saw somethings he knew Optimus would like and somethings he knew Optimus would not be pleased with. One of the things Mirage knew Optimus would not be pleased with was a few of the cadets acting like know-it-alls. And after having seen these things, Mirage revealed himself to see how long it would take before his presence was noticed.

Trailbreaker, having sensed the bot, saw the bot right away, and stood and saluted first of all the bots, including Archer. Several others followed suit, including Archer. The last to see Mirage was Afterburner, even after Sunstreaker and Sideswipe had seen the bot and saluted. Afterburner, not sure who this silly bot was did no such thing.

Mirage was not pleased with Afterburner, as if afterburner did not even know who Mirage was or respect the bot, there was no way Afterburner would be a good guard for the citadel, for he wouldn't even know or respect the Prime. "Greetings cadets. I came to see how your training was going. Many of you are doing excellent." Archer had seen what Mirage had and knew that Mirage would bring this report to Optimus. Afterburner was as good as done now.


	97. Chapter 97

As Mirage headed back to Optimus, Stingray was carefully racing home with little Starscream carefully secured in her arms. She couldn't wait to share the news with her mate – that Starscream had indeed been saved, though that was only half the news she had to bring.

And as Stingray burst through the doorway, Surge and Stunray were caught off-guard. "What is the meaning of this, my love?" Stunray asked, not sure what was going on. Surge stood near his brother just in case.

"We… we were able to save him!" Stingray joyously shouted. The smile on her faceplates saying so much.

"He? Saved?" Surge asked, but Stunray knew what it meant.

"Let me see Starscream, my love" Stunray gently pleaded.

Stingray slowly revealed the tiny little bot she held in her arms. He was much smaller than any of them had expected. "He… he's so small" Surge commented.

"According to the medics, he is a mini-seekerling. He will not grow big, but in every other way, he is perfectly healthy" Stingray blurted out, hoping her mate would accept the little one.

"As long as he is safe and alive, anything else is small stuff" Stunray stated, wrapping an arm around Stingray's waist and carefully pulling her close. Surge just smiled, happy to see his brother and sister-in-law bring a new addition into the family. And with that, seeing that both were ok, Surge left.

Meanwhile, in Iacon, Scatter had performed his best, hoping to be a part of this new club that was coming up to entertain the adult bots that lived in town or from the surrounding areas. After Scatter was done, a few other bots performed. And then it was time for the results. Several names were read off, and Scatter hoped to be one of them. And as the list got to the end, Scatter's hopes started to fade, as he hadn't heard his name. He waited, a bit dejected, and then finally heard "and last but not least, Scatter, please come see the manager." Scatter was so excited, as he was only one of twenty bots selected to go meet with the manager. His hopes were looking up, but he played it cool in hopes all would work out.

Elsewhere in Iacon, Mirage went to his mate, as Mirage had a report to make. "Mirage reporting in, sir" Mirage stated, as his mate was in the office with a few other bots.

"Please, report your findings, soldier" Optimus stated, as these bots didn't need to know that Mirage was Optimus' mate.

"The newest cadets that are being trained are doing well. Well, all but one. His name is Afterburner, sir, and from what I have seen, he is being a very undisciplined cadet" Mirage reported, unaware that Afterburner was the son of a highly-respected guard of the citadel of Iacon.

Optimus sensed that there was more to the report and so he politely excused the other bots who were in the room, and then it was just Optimus and his mate. "What was it that you refused to tell me in front of those other bots, Mirage?" Optimus asked.

"Optimus, Afterburner, even after seeing other bots notice me and respect me, disrespected me and basically blew me off, as if I was unimportant. I know you want all to do well, but if that bot can't even tell that I am important to respect and protect, how do we know he will respect and protect you should there be a crazy bot who tries to attack?" Mirage asked, making his point.

"Did you make an announced visit, Mirage?" Optimus asked, wanting to know more.

"No, Optimus, I made an unannounced visit and I started my visit invisibly. I wanted to get a good look at what was going on. Once I saw that, I made myself visible. The first bot to acknowledge my presence and respect me was Trailbreaker. Not even their commander reacted until half the cadets already followed Trailbreakers lead. But even with that, Afterburner still refused to offer the same respect and acknowledgement" Mirage revealed.

Optimus knew then that there was a serious issue, but Optimus also wanted to give Afterburner a chance to redeem himself. "I understand what you are saying Mirage, and that it is important that they as guards of Iacon recognize you, but unless I get a pattern of reports relaying the same information, I am still going to give the bot a chance."

"I understand, Optimus, but do be careful" Mirage stated, before heading out. He wanted to be with his little ones.

After Mirage left, Optimus commed Archer. "I need a report on how training is going" Optimus commanded in his use commanding but respectful tone.

"Training seems to be going well. I am struggling to keep the young ones from doing things that make them act like undisciplined soldiers. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe pulled a prank on Afterburner, apparently after Afterburner had made negative remarks about Trailbreaker that Afterburner didn't realize Trailbreaker had overheard and Afterburner has a bit of an attitude problem that doesn't he doesn't seem to want to get rid of" Archer reported, showing that he was trying, but there were some issues beyond his control.

Optimus listened and realized he had the perfect place to send Afterburner. "I have a special training place I want you to send Afterburner to" Optimus stated.

"And where is that sir?" Archer asked, curious.

"I want him sent to the trouble bots that Ironhide breaks in. That ought to straighten the bot up a bit" Optimus stated, heaving heard that Hide was a tough bot and broke many young arrogant bots of their unwanted attitudes.

Archer was stunned. He didn't think Afterburner was that bad, but if that is what Optimus, Archer would comply. "Are you sure that is what is best, sir?" Archer asked.

"Archer, as you know, Mirage stopped by your troop earlier today, and he report was not very favorable of Afterburner. It is both your report and Mirage's report that have led to this decision. And that is final" Optimus stated firmly.

"Yes, sir. He will be shipped over there within the hour" Archer replied.

"Excellent, soldier. Optimus out" Optimus stated and then he headed out of his office. Little Orion needed to play and hoped Mirage was in the mood.


	98. Chapter 98

As Optimus was letting his Orion Pax side out with his mate Mirage, Archer sent Afterburner over to Ironhide's troop. Archer wasn't sure if this was necessary, but orders were orders. Afterburner, hoping that this was too a better unit where he was considered the best, went willingly to Ironhide's training area. Little did Afterburner realize that before he was reassigned, his pompous arrogant attitude would be lost.

Hide was in the middle of a training session with other young bots in need of serious discipline when Afterburner walked in. Hide smiled, though no one saw it. Mirage had reported to Hide what Mirage had observed with the young one. Hide could sense the same thing – underneath the arrogant attitude was a good bot that just needed an attitude adjustment – a major one.

"Cadets! Fall in line!" Ironhide barked loudly, commanding the young ones who were there. One could tell who were the troublesome ones and who were further along in this stage of training. And as far as Afterburner was concerned, he carefully sauntered over to where he thought he should be, following yet not following commands. Hide smiled, as he had seen this type of young punk often – in fact it was his favorite type to break in. This was going to be fun.

Meanwhile, Scatter was with the other several bots who had been selected to see the manager. Several had already been through the secondary interview process and Scatter was waiting his turn, as his name had been read last. And after all the others went, it was finally Scatter's turn. He was nervous, but didn't let it show. He went in and was surprised to find that the manager who was interviewing was a femme, but he knew that femmes were to respected regardless. After pleasantries, Scatter began answering the questions asked in a honest and open manner, hoping that this would get him the job he sought. Only time would tell.

Meanwhile, in the underground citadel of Vos, little Starscream was back with his family. Stunray and Stingray were enjoying having all the young ones around them, especially the seven they had saved. It was a large family, but the adults were amazed and pleased at just how well the other seekerlings seemed to be careful of and protective of little Screamer, who seemed to thrive in all the love and attention. He was such a loving young bot, and showed it as often as possible, even to none family members like Artic Cat and others who were in the citadel.

"I Wish Prime could see him now" Stunray stated, knowing that there was no way a medic would let the heavily sparked seeker fly to Iacon.

"Well, maybe we should invite Prime to come here and see all of them" Stingray answered.

"If he is willing to come, that would be best" Stunray stated.

"I will try and get ahold of him later, for now, you need to rest, my love" Stingray stated, as she reassured her mate. Stunray smiled and soon fell into recharge. Stingray smiled and soon cozied up to her mate in their berth, keeping her sensors on alert in case any of the sparklings woke and needed something.

Meanwhile, back in Iacon, with Archer's newest set of young Cadets, there were few if any problems anymore. Archer was amazed at the difference. HE hadn't realized the morale had been that different when Afterburner was still there. Trailbreaker, Sunny, Sides, and all the rest were working hard, though Sunny and Sides still ended up in the brig a few times for pranks they pulled on other cadets.

Elsewhere in Iacon, not with Ironhide or Archer, Bluestreak was also training as a guard for Iacon. Bluestreak was training under Jazz, who while he could be a fun-loving bot, he was also quite strict as he kept the young bots in line. Jazz was teaching these guards to guard the prisoners that were held beneath Iacon as well as maintain the underground Autobot base. Bluestreak enjoyed the challenge, along with his friends Bumblebee, Arcee, and Bluesky. When not in training, the four young bots enjoyed spending time together.

Back with the troop Ironhide was leading, Afterburner already found himself in the brig that the troop used. Hide used this brig often, as it was a tool to help break young bots of their arrogant, entitled attitudes that they seemed to come in with. Afterburner punched at the walls and shook the bars trying to get out, but the guard guarding him had seen this all before and was not swayed in letting bots out until Ironhide gave the go ahead. Afterburner was not happy but there was little he could do about it. Little did he realize that this was only a first step in breaking his attitude.

Elsewhere in Iacon, Peacekeeper and Flasher were at the northern gate of the Citadel. "Wow, this whole thing has been quite a ride, eh Keeper?" Flasher asked.

Peacekeeper looked to his twin. "Well, the war is over and peace has come" keeper responded, worried that Flasher would pull another stunt about leaving without telling anyone.

"I know, brother, and I long to see the other citadels that have been rebuilt" Flasher stated, having learned that it was better to say what he wanted than just take off.

"Mom and dad would never let you go alone" Keeper replied, telling the truth, "and frankly, I am content to remain in Iacon for now."

"Maybe Silverstreak can come with me" Flasher stated, having a fondness for that younger brother.

"I doubt mom will let the two of you troublemakers leave alone" Keeper responded, knowing neither was fully trusted to leave the citadel alone or with each other.

Flasher sighed. He hated that his twin was right about all of this. "You're right Keeper, as always."

"It won't be much longer, Flasher, and we will be advanced younglings, capable of making our own decisions on where to go and what to do. Just give it time" Keeper stated. Flasher nodded and both soon headed for home.


	99. Chapter 99

After having let Orion Pax have his fun and such, Optimus returned to his office. He had much that he needed to monitor and do. Once he arrived, he realized he had several messages that he needed to attend to. The first was Red Alert alerting Optimus that his sons Peacekeeper and Flasher were observed near the north gate, though neither had moved any further from the city center. Optimus wasn't pleased at that report, but at least his sons were safe. The second message was about Archer having had to transfer a cadet to Ironhide's troop due to disciplinary issues. The third message was Ironhide updating on what had been done so far to the newest troublesome troops he had been assigned, including Afterburner. Optimus was pleased to hear of the improvements. Lastly was a comm from Stingray asking for a comm back. And seeing how she had left no message, Optimus decided to comm her first.

"Optimus to Stingray, come in Stingray" Optimus calmly called over the comm.

"Stingray here, Sir, how many I assist you" Stingray asked, not sure if Optimus had received her message or not.

"I am calling back for an update as you had left me a comm message saying that you needed to speak with me" Optimus replied, letting Stingray know that Optimus had indeed received the message and was comming back to find out what it was about.

Stingray was relieved that he was calling her back. "I have news, sir. We were able to safely revert Starscream back to his sparkling form…" Stingray stated, hesitant to mention the rest, as this was even new to the seekers, as minibot seekers were almost unheard of.

Optimus sensed there was more that she was not bringing forth. "And?" Optimus asked, wanting to know more information.

"Well, sir…I think that is something you need to see for yourself, as I don't think you will believe me if I just told you" Stingray stated, wanting Optimus to come to the Underground Citadel of Vos to see how things were and to see the former trine.

"I will try to be out there in a few days and I plan to bring Mirage and a few other bots with me" Optimus stated, giving the seeker fair warning about the Prime's plans.

"Oh, that would be wonderful, sir. We would have brought them to you, but my mate is not allowed to fly right now" Stingray revealed, showing the real reason she had asked him to come visit instead of bringing the little ones to him.

"Oh? What is wrong with Stunray?" Optimus asked, not sure what could stop the seeker form coming to Iacon.

"He is heavily sparked with triple femme seekerlings, sir" Stingray answered, wanting Optimus to know the truth.

Now Optimus understood why his presence was requested at the citadel and the little ones were not brought to him in Iacon. He was happy to hear the news. "I look forward to seeing you and all those who now live in the underground citadel of Vos. Optimus out." Optimus ended the comm. Now he had to go let his mate know that they would soon be heading out for a bit.

After checking up on a few more things, Optimus decided to talk a bit of a walk. He didn't go back to his mate just yet, as he wanted to go outside and into Iacon to see how things were going. He stepped out and was greeted warmly by many bots that lived in the citadel. He greeted each one of them warmly and by name. All were amazed and appreciative that he seemed to care about each bot and tried to remember names and other personal details about each bot. It made each bot feel like they were welcomed and the that the Prime really did care.

As Optimus was heading through the citadel, he bumped into his old friend, Scatter, who wasn't exactly surprised to see the Prime out and about, as Orion never liked to stay indoors if he could help it. Scatter went up to his old friend and greeted the Prime with a smile. "Been awhile, Optimus" Scatter stated, smile evident.

"that it has, old friend. How have you been doing?" Optimus asked.

"Oh, you know me, I just go wherever life takes me" Scatter stated, not yet revealing the news he had.

"Oh? And what news are you hiding from me?" Optimus answered, able to tell his old friend was hiding news.

Scatter laughed – same old bot. Scatter was never very good about hiding things from Orion, and Optimus was no different. "Well, two things. I have a new job and I found a sparkmate" Scatter stated.

Optimus smiled. "I need a little more information than that, old friend" Optimus responded, as he wanted to know more.

"Well, I will be a dancer at a new entertainment place in Iacon. And one of the bots who tried out but didn't make the cut and I started talking after I received one of the ten open positions. Her name is Shimmer. I will bring you to meet her sometime. She is at work now, working as at the energon bar of the entertainment place that I work at as a dancer. We work different shifts, though we make time for each other" Scatter stated, happy to update the Prime.

"I am pleased to hear that you have made something of yourself, Scatter. I am glad to see that the golden era of Cybertron seems to be returning" Optimus stated. "By the way, I was asked to go visit the underground citadel of Vos. My mate and I will be going in a few days, would you care to join us?"

"Wish I could, but I can't. I have to work, as does Shimmer, but send them my best" Scatter responded. Optimus nodded and the two parted ways. Optimus moved on, as he was heading for the north gate to make sure his sons were still in the citadel this time, and in only an hour more, he soon found them, still at the gate and safe and sound. Optimus called to them and soon led them home. They were happy to get home and happy that neither of their parents were mad at them.


	100. Chapter 100

A few days later, Optimus, Mirage, Illusion, and Buster all headed for the underground Citadel of Vos. Optimus had told the other three that the reason they were going was to see what had become of the seeker trine that had been such a pain in the aft to the Autobots. "You mean they were able to be saved?" Illusion asked, happy and worried at the same time.

"Much of seeker science is unknown to us, and so it is possible that with knowledge they alone possess that this miracle occurred, with a lot of help from Primus" Optimus answered.

"So why weren't the little ones brought to you, sir?" Buster asked, a bit confused.

"We were invited to come because Stingray's mate Stunray is heavily sparked and so wasn't able to fly out and see us" Optimus answered. Buster and Illusion nodded at that answer.

"Anything else?" Mirage asked.

"Well, Stingray mentioned something was unusual about Starscream, but she stated that we would have to come see it to believe it and would not say anything further about it" Optimus answered.

"I can only imagine, as that seeker was always full of surprises" Mirage responded.

"True, Mirage, but I think this is a bigger surprise than we might expect" Optimus stated.

"Or smaller" Mirage remarked, not knowing how close to hitting the nail on the head he had come. Optimus nodded as the group moved along, the two couples having left all their young ones with trusted adults and younglings.

Meanwhile, as the group headed out, Trailblazer and his friends Sunny and sides were quickly elevating through the ranks of their troop. Archer was impressed, of course he should have expected no less of Ratchet's brats, but trailbreaker was indeed a surprise to Archer. Archer was happy to see that the three were doing well.

Meanwhile, with Ironhide, Afterburner had learned his lesson the hard way and was trying now to become the best bot he could be. It took a lot of painful lessons for the bot to realize that he needed to change his arrogant and flippant attitude. But with patience and persistence as well as firm discipline, Old Ironhide had managed to help the young bot change for the better.

Elsewhere, at the entertainment club, Scatter was dancing to his spark's content, showing off his best moves. Mechs and femmes alike seemed to favor him, and so he got more tips than his other fellow dancers, though he was not a vain bot. He kept only some of the tips he got and gave part of them to the other dancers so that they would also feel like they earned their keep. He didn't have to do this, but he felt in his spark it was the right thing to so. Shimmer even supported Scatter doing it, as they were comfortable, even as she was sporting a sparkling bump. Scatter and shimmer were happy and that was all that mattered to them.

And in many of the citadels around Cybertron, the world was returning to what Cybertron must have been like during the Golden age. The old caste system, which had come out of the second civil war between Autobots and Decepticons, was no more and bots were free to choose how to live and work and who to associate with. Many bots who had lived through the old system were grateful that it was torn to shreds, thanks to the decree from Optimus Prime who saw to it that all were treated fairly. He even convened a council of wise elders, from each of the old caste systems levels, to help make sure that Cybertron remained a wonderful place for all. Prime Included Ratchet, Ironhide, Orion, and several other bots to be on the Council of Elders so as to keep the Prime in check.

And as the bots in the various citadels enjoyed life, Optimus and the three bots with him made their way to the underground Citadel of Vos. It wasn't every day that the Prime visited, and so the bots of the citadel prepared for his arrival, including Artic Cat who helped run the citadel. Stingray had alerted Artic Cat to the fact that Optimus would be visiting and so Artic made sure that the citadel was ready, though he didn't realize that Optimus wasn't coming to check on the progress of the citadel, but on three precious sparklings.

Soon the loud rumble of a semi motor approached one of the gates to the underground citadel. It was the gate with the shallowest decline into the citadel. Artic smiled as he waited, as he knew with Prime's semi mode form that this would be the most likely entrance that Optimus would take.

"Greetings, Sir, to what do we owe this pleasure?" Artic asked.

"I received word from Stingray that Thundercracker, Skywarp, and Starscream were able to be saved. She asked that I come to see them" Optimus stated, surprising Artic slightly.

"She requested your presence, sir?" Artic asked, curious, as Artic had not seen Starscream.

"Yes, as she was unable to come to Iacon as her mate is heavily sparked" Optimus replied before transforming into his bipedal mode. "I bring with me my mate Mirage, Mirage's twin Illusion, and Illusion's mate Buster."

Artic smiled. He realized that while the Prime could come at any time for any reason, it was nice to have a Prime that was willing to visit for such a reason. "Please allow me to take you to their quarters" Artic stated, Snow Cat soon joining them.

Optimus and the three bots with him soon found their way to the place and Optimus knocked on the door. They were greeted by Stingray, who was carrying something very small in her arms. "Please, do come in, but do so quietly, many of our young ones are asleep."

"What do you have in your arms?" Illusion asked quietly.

"Not a what, but who. This little one is Starscream" Stingray stated, showing them the little one's coloration. The coloration looked familiar, but the size stunned them.

"That is Starscream?" Mirage asked quietly in shock.

"Yes, this is why I asked you to come. No one would believe me he is a minibot seekerling unless they saw it" Stingray answered.

Optimus just smiled as he took the tiny sleeping form into is own arms. "Size and type of bot don't matter. What matters is love and I can tell he is deeply loved here" Optimus stated as he held the little one close. The other bots smiled. "And now, all are one."


End file.
